Maeda Nariyasu

Maeda Nariyasu (前田 斉泰) was born on August 28, 1811, in Kanazawa, Japan. He was the second son of Maeda Narinaga, who served as the lord of Kaga Domain, a significant feudal territory in the Hokuriku region during the Edo period. Nariyasu's childhood names included Katsuchiyo (勝千代), later Katsumaru (勝丸), and Inuchiyo (犬千代).

His father, Maeda Narinaga, retired in 1822 and passed the headship of the family to Nariyasu, who adopted the adult name Toshiyasu (利康). Although Nariyasu assumed leadership at that time, Narinaga continued to control domain affairs until his death in 1824. Following his father's death, Nariyasu took personal control of Kaga's governance and initiated reforms within the domain.

Nariyasu held the hereditary title of the 12th daimyō of Kaga Domain and was also the 13th head of the Kanazawa Maeda clan. He was notable for being the first daimyō of Kaga since Toshitsune to hold the court title of chūnagon at a high rank.

Initially, Nariyasu supported conservative policies; however, the arrival of Commodore Perry at Uraga in 1853 prompted him to advocate for liberal policies and the modernization of Kaga Domain's military. As part of his efforts, he established the Nanao Shipyard (七尾軍艦所, Nanao gunkanjo).

During the Bakumatsu period, Nariyasu was involved in political activities centered around Kyoto. He entrusted a portion of Kaga's military forces to his son, Maeda Yoshiyasu, who participated in defending the imperial palace during the Kinmon Incident of 1864. Following the incident, Yoshiyasu did not continue the fight but instead fled Kyoto. This failure led Nariyasu to imprison his son under solitary confinement and to order the seppuku of two Kaga domain elders, Matsudaira Daini and Ōnoki Nakasaburō. Working alongside the castle warden Honda Masahito, Nariyasu also restricted the activities of pro-sonnō jōi samurai within Kanazawa.

He officially retired from active governance in 1866, succeeded by his son Maeda Yoshiyasu; however, Nariyasu retained significant influence over the domain's affairs. During his leadership, Kaga Domain aligned with the imperial faction during the Boshin War and participated in military actions such as the Echigo Campaign.

Maeda Nariyasu died on January 16, 1884, at the age of 72. He was buried in Ishikawa Prefecture.

concerning his family, his father was Maeda Narinaga, and his mother was Oyae no Kata, later known as Eiyou’in. He was married to Tokugawa Yōhime (1813–1868), daughter of the 11th shōgun Tokugawa Ienari. Nariyasu had multiple children, including Maeda Yoshiyasu, who succeeded him as daimyō. His other children included sons Maeda Toshinori, Maeda Toshimichi, and Maeda Toshika, and daughters Manhime, Hiroko, Ikuko, and others. His descendants intermarried with various noble families, including the Nijō and Asano clans.

Nariyasu's death marked the end of his direct influence, but his legacy reflects his role in the transition period of late Edo Japan, marked by political upheaval and the eventual modernization of the domain.

**References and further reading about Maeda Nariyasu include**:

- Kanazawa domain genealogy (in Japanese)

- "Visiting the graves of the Maeda house" (in Japanese)

- Nekhet's "World Nobility" site (in Japanese)

- Posthumously published works such as *Sarugaku menhai ron* (1934)

- Books by Edmond Papinot and the Ishikawa Prefectural Museum detailing the history of Maeda Nariyasu and Kaga Domain.