Kenrokuen, a Scenic Garden, the Maeda Clan's Survival Strategy

Kenrokuen, a strolling-style garden featuring ponds, hills, and tea houses, is renowned as one of Japan’s most exquisite gardens, alongside Korakuen in Okayama and Kairakuen in Mito. Situated in Kanazawa City, the heart of the Kaga domain until the end of the Edo period (1603~1868), Kenrokuen has been expanded since its founding, with the additional planting of good-shaped trees until 1851. The lords created three islands within the garden’s ponds, inspired by the concept of immortal Shenxian deities, symbolizing their wishes for long life and everlasting prosperity.

The Kaga domain was a cultural center throughout the Edo period nurturing craftsmen, gardeners, chefs, and tea masters in various traditional crafts. Many cultural traditions have evolved over 300 years, including gold leaf, Kaga Lacquer, Kutani Porcelain, Kaga Yuzen dyed silk fabrics, Kaga cuisine, and Kaga confectionery. How did the Kaga domain endure through the Edo period while others lost their territories to the Tokugawa Shogunate? The Kaga domain’s cultural power holds the key to this mystery.

Toshiie's Building the Foundation of the Kaga Domain

Let’s dive into the history of the Kaga domain, beginning with its first feudal lord, Maeda Toshiie (1538-1599, 前田利家). Toshiie started serving Oda Nobunaga (1534-1582, 織田信長) in 1551, playing a significant role in Nobunaga's territorial expansion. As the leader of Nobunaga's elite force, the Akahoro Shu, Toshiie demonstrated his military prowess in many battles, notably, the Battles of Okehazama against Imagawa Yoshimoto, the Battle of Nagashino, Osaka Honganji War, among others. Nobunaga had high expectations for Toshiie and arranged for his daughter to be the wife of his eldest son, Toshinaga. Simultaneously, Toshiie made his daughter, Gou, the adopted daughter of his colleague, Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-1598, 豊臣秀吉), who was not blessed with children.

Following Nobunaga's assassination at Honnoji Temple in 1582, Toshiie served under Hideyoshi, relocating his headquarters to Kanazawa Castle as his territory expanded to include two more areas in Kaga Province. Under the Toyotomi regime, Toshiie became one of the Council of Five Elders and a guardian of Hideyoshi's heir, Toyotomi Hideyori (1593-1615, 豊臣秀頼). After Hideyoshi's death, Toshiie held a distinguished position alongside Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616, 徳川家康), dedicating himself to the continued management of the Toyotomi administration.

Toshinaga's Patience with Ieyasu

Six months after Toshiie's death in 1599, Toshinaga (1562-1614, 前田利長) left Osaka Castle and returned to Kanazawa against his father's will that he should stay in Osaka for three years. It is believed that Tokugawa Ieyasu, who assumed control of the Toyotomi regime's political affairs at Osaka Castle, kept Toshinaga away from Hideyori and effectively excluded him from the center of power. To demonstrate submission to Ieyasu, Toshinaga sent his mother, Matsu, to Edo as a hostage. Toshinaga's actions were driven by a commitment to ensuring the survival of the Maeda clan and the stability of the Kaga domain.

However, several of his vassals remained aligned with the anti-Tokugawa factions, and Toshinaga struggled to control them. In 1613, a daughter of the second shogun, Tokugawa Hidetada, married Toshinaga’s brother and the next lord of the Kaga domain, Toshitsune (1594-1658, 前田利常), fostering a closer relationship between the Tokugawa and Maeda families. Following the Battle of Sekigahara, Toshinaga was granted additional territories, achieving the largest approximately 1 million koku(*) in Japan. Furthermore, the Maeda family was the only non-Tokugawa family permitted to maintain the high rank of court nobility. Toshinaga's efforts to maintain the Kaga domain with his patience and diplomacy proved successful.

(*) Koku refers to the land value equivalent of about 150 kg of rice

Toshitsune's Playing the Fool

The Maeda clan faced another crisis during Toshitsune’s region. In 1631, a rumor spread in Edo that the Maeda clan had rebelled against the Tokugawa Shogunate. Toshitsune hurried to Edo to address the situation and ultimately dispelled the suspicion. To further convince the Tokugawa that the Maeda clan had no rebellious intentions, Toshitsune played the role of a foolish lord.He grew out his nose hair, creating an impression of a silly and harmless lord, and hosted nightly banquets to demonstrate his frivolity. This strategy ensured the Kaga domain’s survival, preventing it from being crushed by the Tokugawa Shogunate. Remarkably, the Maeda clan of the Kaga domain survived while approximately 100 lords lost their territories.

Toshitsune Pours His Wealth of One Million Koku into Culture

Toshitsune invited many talented artists, craftsmen, and tea masters from Kyoto to Kaga, collaborating with the retired Emperor Gomizunoo (1596-1658, 後水尾天皇), Gomizunoo-In. He invested nearly all of his financial assets in cultural advancement, clearly signaling his intention not to raise a weapon against the Tokugawa Shogunate. His era marked the beginning of the glory of the Kaga-Renaissance, a cultural flourishing comparable to the Imperial culture led by Gomizunoo-In.

The ceiling design of Ao-no-ma (Blue room) at Seison Kaku (成巽閣), a residence built for the wives of the Maeda lords, is similar to the Ichimatsu-design fusuma (indigo and white checked pattern's sliding door) at Katsura Imperial Villa, established by Gomizunoo-In’s uncle, Prince Toshihito (1579-1629, 八条宮智仁親王) and his son, Prince Toshitada (1619-1662, 八条宮智忠親王). On the marriage of Fuhime, daughter of Toshitsune, to Prince Toshitada, the Katsura Imperial Palace was restored and enlarged with the support of the Kaga domain.

Toshitsune and Gomizunoo-In Shared their Sentiment for the Patience

The framed statement, or hengaku, displays the Kanji character “Shinobu (忍),” meaning “Patience,” which was said to have been hung at the Seison Kaku. This statement was given to Toshitsune by Gomizunoo-In. The character “Shinobu” encapsulates the shared sentiment of both Toshitsune and Gomizunoo-In: “Be patient in the face of the powerful Tokugawa Shogunate to preserve and eventually win through superior cultural development.”

Toshiie, Toshinaga, and Toshitsune, the Great Lords Protected Kaga Domain

Enjoy a walk through the Kenrokuen Garden, which embodies the superior and artistic taste of both Imperial culture and samurai culture, reflecting the pride of the Maeda clan, the greatest feudal lord to endure through the Edo period following the Tokugawa. As you walk, immerse yourself in the rich heritage of Kaga crafts and arts, traditions that have been handed down, passed on, and continually developed for over 300 years.

Maeda clan Timeline

		Toshiie	Toshinaga	Toshitsune	Tokugawa Ieyasu
1537	Maeda Toshiie was born in Nagoya	1
1560	Maeda Toshiie joined the battle of Okehazama	24			19
1562	Maeda Toshinaga was born	26	1		21
1569	Maeda Toshiie became the head of Maeda family	33	8		28
1582	Nobunaga was killed at Honnoji by Akechi Mitsuhide	46	21		41
1583	Maeda Toshiie supported Hideyoshi to defeat Shibata Katsuie at the battle of Shizugatake	47	22		42
1585	Maeda Toshiie became the 1st lord of Kaga domain	49	24		44
1590	Hideyoshi unified the nation	54	29		49
1593	Maeda Toshitsune was born	57	32	1	54
1598	Toshinaga took over the reigns of the Maeda family.	62	37	4	57
1599	Toshiie & Toshinaga moved to Osaka	63	38	5	58
1599	Maeda Toshiie passed away	63	38	5	58
1599	Maeda Toshinaga became Tairo		38	5	58
1599	Maeda Toshinaga left Osaka Castle and backed to Kanazawa		38	5	58
1599	Worsening of relations between Ieyasu & Toshinaga		38	5	58
1600	Matsu moved to Edo as Tokugawa's hostage		39	6	59
1600	Kaga domain became 1 million koku value		39	6	59
1600	Maeda Toshitsune married Tama-hime		39	6	59
1600	The Battle of Sekigahara		39	6	59
1605	Maeda Toshitsune took over the head of Kaga domain		44	11	64
1614	Maeda Toshinaga passed away		53	20	73
1614	Matsu came back to Kanazawa from Edo			20	73
1614	Maeda Toshitsune joined Tokugawa forces at the Winter Siege of Osaka			20	73
1615	Maeda Toshitsune joined Tokugawa forces at the Summer Siege of Osaka			21	74
1658	Maeda Toshitsune passed away			64

Recommendations to visit