Maeda Yoshinori

Maeda Yoshinori (前田吉徳), born on September 10, 1690, and died on July 11, 1745, was a Japanese samurai during the Edo period. He served as the 5th daimyō of Kaga Domain, located in the Hokuriku region, and was the sixth hereditary head of the Kanazawa Maeda clan.

Yoshinori was the third son of Maeda Tsunanori. His mother was a commoner and a concubine named Omachi no Kata. In 1702, he was designated as the heir to the domain and was given the childhood name Katsumaru (勝丸). Later, his name was changed to Matsudaira Inuchiyo-maru, then to Toshitaka (利挙), and subsequently to Toshioki (利興). He underwent the genpuku (coming-of-age) ceremony in a ceremony presided over by Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, the shogun at the time, and was renamed Yoshiharu (吉治).

In 1708, Yoshinori married Matsuhime, who was the adopted daughter of Tokugawa Tsunayoshi and the daughter of Tokugawa Tsunanari of Owari Domain. In 1723, upon the retirement of his father due to health issues, Yoshinori became the daimyō of Kaga Domain, adopting the name Maeda Yoshinori.

During his tenure, Kaga Domain maintained political stability and held the same status within Edo Castle's audience as one of the Gosanke, the three privileged branch families of the Tokugawa clan. Despite this status, the domain faced economic challenges; its financial position was becoming increasingly strained despite its official valuation of one million koku.

Yoshinori initiated financial reforms aimed at stabilizing the domain's economy. He appointed Ōtsuki Denzō, a retainer of ashigaru (foot soldier) background and one of his favorites, as his primary economic advisor. The reforms included reducing expenditures, controlling rice speculation, and enforcing sumptuary laws to limit luxury consumption. These measures led to an improvement in the domain’s financial situation. As a result of his policies, Ōtsuki Denzō was entrusted with increasingly significant responsibilities.

However, these reforms engendered resistance among the senior retainers. Upon Yoshinori’s death in 1745 at the age of 56, a conservative backlash occurred, which reverted many of his fiscal policies.

Family details include his father, Maeda Tsunanori, and his mother, Omachi no Kata. Yoshinori’s wife was Tokugawa Matsuhime. He had several concubines, including Atae no Kata, Otaki no Kata, Osada no Kata, Onui no Kata, and others, producing children who went on to hold various positions and marital alliances. Notably, his children included Maeda Munetoki (by Atae no Kata), Maeda Shigehiro (by Shinkyo-in), Maeda Toshikazu (by Osada no Kata), and Maeda Shigenobu (by Jitsujoin).

Yoshinori received several titles and honors during his lifetime, including Senior 4th Grade rank in 1702, and titles such as Kaga-no-kami and Sakon-e-gon-shosho in 1723.

References for his life include Edmond Papinot's "Historical and Geographical Dictionary of Japan," as well as works by 若林喜三郎 and other historical records. External information can be found regarding the Kaga Domain on Japanese historical resource websites.

[Note: This biography has been compiled solely from the provided data and adheres to an objective, factual tone.]