Maeda Shigemichi

Maeda Shigemichi (前田 重教), born on November 30, 1741, and deceased on July 7, 1786, was a Japanese samurai of the Edo period. He served as the 9th daimyō of Kaga Domain, located in the Hokuriku region of Japan, and was the 10th hereditary head of the Kanazawa Maeda clan.

Shigemichi was born in Kanazawa under the childhood name Kenjiro (健次郎). He was the seventh son of Maeda Yoshinori. His mother was a concubine. Originally, he was intended to be adopted by Moirai Nagakata, a retainer of the Kaga clan, but these plans were canceled due to the untimely deaths of several of his brothers during the internal conflict known as the "Kaga Sōdō," an episode also referred to as the "O-Ie Sōdō."

In 1753, Shigemichi was designated to succeed his elder brother, Maeda Shigenobu, and became daimyō in the same year. His initial plans included a departure for Edo; however, he contracted measles, the same disease that had previously caused the death of his brother, which delayed his departure by approximately one year. In 1754, he held a formal audience with Tokugawa Ieshige, the Shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate, during which his posthumous adoption and official recognition as daimyō were validated.

Upon assuming leadership, Shigemichi took measures to end the internal conflicts of the domain by aligning himself with the conservative faction. This stance resulted in the discontinuation of fiscal experiments initiated by Ōtsuki Denzō. Although these political actions restored stability to the domain, they also led to financial difficulties. In 1759, Kanazawa Castle was destroyed by fire, along with much of the surrounding castle town. The domain borrowed 50,000 ryō from the shogunate to facilitate repairs.

Shigemichi was a patron of traditional Japanese performing arts, particularly Noh and Kyōgen drama. In 1771, he yielded the headship of the Maeda family to his half-brother, Maeda Harunaga. Shigemichi died in 1786 at the age of 44.

Family details include his father, Maeda Yoshinori, and his mother, Jitsujoin. His wife was Tokugawa Senmanhime, daughter of Tokugawa Munemasa of Wakayama Domain. His concubines included Oshun no Kata (later Eshoin), Omoyo no Kata (later Shingetsuin), Oyasu no Kata, and Tenrin’in (later Shugetsuin). His children were Kunihime (1761–1771) and Eihime (1766–1801), who married Matsudaira Katasada; a daughter born in 1776; Maeda Naritaka (1778–1795); Maeda Narinaga; and a son born in 1785.

References for this information include Edmond Papinot's "Historical and Geographical Dictionary of Japan" (1948).