The Ikeda of Owari province were descended from Minamoto Yorimitsu (944-1021), whose great-great grandson Yasumasa first took the name Ikeda. In fact, the Ikeda's origins are a matter of some debate, as another version has them as descendants of the Kusunoki clan. In the 16th Century the Ikeda rose to fame as they followed the fortunes of the 'Three Unifiers'. Ikeda Tsunetoshi entered the service of Oda Nobuhide and Tsuneyoshi's son Nobuteru would become a trusted Oda general, as well as a personal friend of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. While Nobuteru would be killed at the Battle of Nagakute, his son Terumasa would side with Tokugawa Ieyasu in the Sekigahara Campaign and become one of the richest daimyô in Japan. The Ikeda would remain wealthy daimyô throughout the Edo Period.
References
- Initial text from Sengoku Biographical Dictionary (Samurai-Archives.com) FWSeal & CEWest, 2005