Itō Sukechika (伊東 祐親, died March 20, 1182) was a samurai lord and gōzoku of the Izu Province in the late Heian period. He was the 6th head of the Kudō clan and the founder of the Kawazu clan. He is also known as Kawazu Sukechika.
He fought against his nephew (also said to be his cousin) Kudō Suketsune over the division of the territory of his family estate, Itō Manor. The manor was ultimately inherited by Suketsune, but Sukechika took over the manor while Suketsune was in Kyoto. Sukechika also made his daughter, Mangō Gozen, who was married to Suketsune, divorce him.[1][2]
Suketsune was deeply angered over these events and ordered the assassination of Sukechika. In October 1176, a group of thugs attacked Sukechika, who was hunting in Okuno, Izu Province with his son Kawazu Sukeyasu. The arrow shot at Sukechika missed, and hit Sukeyasu instead, killing him.[2][3] Sukeyasu's two sons, Tokimune and Sukenari later killed Suketsune in 1193, which came to be known as the Revenge of the Soga Brothers.[1]
Sukechika later served the Taira clan,[1][4] and governed the Kawazu Manor in Izu Province. He took the name Kawazu from the Kawazu Manor he lived in, thus establishing the Kawazu clan.[4]
Sukechika attempted to kill Minamoto no Yoritomo, who was exiled to Izu Province, over an alleged relationship between Yoritomo and Sukechika's daughter. In 1180, Sukechika surrounded Yoritomo at Ishibashiyama, and succeeded in routing Yoritomo's force. However, during the Battle of Fujigawa, Sukechika was caught by the Minamoto clan, and his captivity was entrusted to his son-in-law, Miura Yoshizumi.[1] Thanks to Yoshizumi's relentless efforts, Sukechika was pardoned, but committed suicide by the sword from his own shame on March 20, 1182.[1][4][5]
