Tenpo 6 (1835) – Keio 3 (1867) November 18
Birthplace: Shinji Hitachi country
Other names: Suzuki Ookura, Settsu
Practiced Hokushin Ittou Ryu and Shinto Munen Ryu
In the Shinsengumi his position was Niban-gumi Kumichou, Sanbou (Staff Officer/Planner) and Bungaku Shihan (Teacher of Literature)
Older brother of Suzuki Mikisaburou
It enrolled in Itou Seiichirou’s gym in Edo Fukugawa Saga-cho but in 1861 Seiichirou dies and Itou Kashitarou marries Ume and takes over the dojo
He joins the Shinsengumi with Todou Heisuke’s solicitation on Autumn of 1864
He goes to Kyoto on October 15, 1864
It is immediately promoted to a valued position of trust right after enlistment and goes on business trips with Kondou Isami as an official attendant in 1865 in the second punitive expedition on Choushuu in Hiroshima
The real intention of Itou’s enlistment was to convert the Shinsengumi into the ideals of “Sonno-joi” but when the Shinsengumi was formally appointed as “Hatamoto”, vassals to the Shogun, in Keio 2 he planned to separate from the Shinsengumi
In Keio 3 (1867) in March he is given the official appointment to guard Emperor Koumei’s tomb and he along with some others formally splintered from the Shinsengumi on March 20 entering Sanjou castle and the next day move into Gojou Yashitatsu temple.
Eventually Itou’s party receives the protection of the Satsuma han and they move their headquarters to the Kodaiji temple in June
Eventually there were some Shinsengumi members who wished to transfer to the Kodaiji party but Itou refused all the request because both parties entered into an agreement that they will both observe the banning of changing parties between their members. This eventually led to some member including Ibaraki Tsukasa to commit seppuku which apparently Itou blamed the Shinsengumi for and he planned the assasination of Kondou. However Saitou Hajime who had gone with their party blew the plot and reported the matter to the Shinsengumi.
Kondou in the night of November 18 invited Itou to his home for dinner and upon Itou’s way back he was ambushed by the Shinsengumi in Shichijou Aburanokouji-nan
His body was laid at Aburanokouji as bait to the Kodaiji party and when they came to retrieve Itou’s body, the Shinsengumi ambushed them and Todou Heisuke was killed in this event. It is said that Kondou had wanted to spare Todou because he was still young and can “change” but an uninformed member had killed him.
It is said that Itou was a very smart man in both the literary and military arts but having too much self-confidence shortened his life.