Minamoto no Nakaakira (源仲章)
MINAMOTO no Nakaakira (unknown - February 20, 1219) was a noble and a Confucian scholar from the end of the Heian period to the early Kamakura period. He was a son of MINAMOTO no Mitsuto of Uda-Genji (Minamoto clan), who was a close associate of Cloistered Emperor Goshirakawa. His elder brother was MINAMOTO no Nakakuni who was a close associate of Emperor Takakura and his younger brother was MINAMOTO no Nakanari. He was in charge of education for MINAMOTO no Sanetomo, and worked as a corresponding secretary between Sanetomo and the retired Emperor Gotoba. He was killed together with Sanetomo by Kugyo.
As he was born in a family of In no kinshin (vassal attending on a retired emperor), he served the retired Emperor Gotoba, but also had kept contact with the Kamakura bakufu (Japanese feudal government headed by a shogun) and became qualified for Gokenin (a lower-ranking vassal during the Kamakura era) even though he was staying in Kyoto. There were some documents showing that he had worked very well as Gokenin in Kyoto since about 1200, serving as Tsuibu (officer of Police and Judicial Chief) and corresponding secretary between imperial court and the bakufu. Then, he moved to Kamakura around 1206 and became Jidoku (tutor) for seii taishogun (literally, "great general who subdues the barbarians") Sanetomo. Even though he didn't have a special record in Kyoto as scholar, he had certain extensive knowledge and he was said to be qualified as the shogun's tutor in Kamakura where there were not many academically superior persons. Sanetomo liked Nakaakira and gave him a residence near the shogun's palace.
While working for the Kamakura bakufu, he had kept the official government post in the Imperial court of retired Emperor Gotoba and reported the bakufu's insider information when he went to the capital Kyoto as a 'double agent.'
In 1216, he became a Mandokoro betto (Secretary of government office) in the Kamakura bakufu due to the lack of talented staff (At that time, number of post of Mandokoro betto was two and Nakaakira worked with OE no Hiromoto). His official rank was promoted from Kokushi (an officer of local government) in Sagami Province to Daigaku no kami (Chief of the Bureau of Education). Then he was conferred Jushiinoge (Junior Fourth Rank, Lower Grade) and Monjo hakase (professor of literature) in 1218 by the bakufu's recommendation and was appointed Jidoku (tutor) of Emperor Juntoku concurrently. Finally he was allowed to visit the imperial palace. This means that he kept important positions both in the bakufu and the imperial court at that time.
However, he was killed with Sanetomo by Kugyo who was Sanetomo's nephew at Tsuruoka Hachimangu Shrine on the day of Sanetomo's inaugural celebration of udaijin (minister of the right).
General theories are that he was killed because he was taken for Yoshitoki HOJO who was Shikken (regent) but also there was another theory that he was killed because of being a 'double agent.'