Well, you have come to a great place for advice...espec
ially about tough issues like this one. I am mom to Kana a 3 year old Japanese Akita and he is (and always has been) all BOY! He has been quite the challenge to raise properly. We got him at 4 months from Midwest Akita Rescue Society. He had been bought from a breeder in Canada and homed in Ohio by some idiot who did not do his research. He gave him up 3 weeks after purchasing him. We, luckily, found him.
As many have stated, food aggression is 1)breed typical of Akitas 2)a behavior that is not that difficult to re-train and 3)something that has to be estabilshed early and often. I love the NILIF policy (nothing in life is free) for my Akita. It's worked out very well!
My biggest concern about your story is that your baby has been taken away from his family too early (therefore wrecking the natural teaching that goes on in the pack) and that your boyfriend may want you rehome him. NOT that I disagree with him, but I don't know how easy it will be to rehome him at this young age & with his special Akita "attitude".
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE consult a rescue before rehoming him!!!! Akitas too often get placed in inexperienced homes... homes that have very wonderful intentions, but just do not know the intensity of the breed!
Even though we had expereince with Akitas, when we got Kana it was like nothing we have ever experienced before. He was DIFFICULT! Had we not known about the breed, we probably would have not known what to do, he was that hard of a case.
I commend you for looking for advice...your heart is definately in the right place so I have no doubt that your pup will do well with the right rules and remember NILIF!
Best of luck, I look forward to checking in soon to hear about his progress!