Maeda Nariyasu

Maeda Nariyasu (前田 斉泰) (August 28, 1811 – January 16, 1884) was a Japanese daimyo of the late Edo period who ruled the Kaga Domain.

Biography
Nariyasu was born in Kanazawa in 1811, the 2nd son of the Kaga lord, Maeda Narinaga. His childhood name was Katsuchiyo. His father retired in 1822, passing family headship to Nariyasu (who first took the adult name of Toshiyasu (利康)); however, Narinaga retained control of domain affairs until his death in 1824. Rather notably, Nariyasu later became the first Kaga lord since Toshitsune to hold the high level court title of chūnagon ("middle councilor" 中納言). After his father's death, Nariyasu took personal control of Kaga's government, and implemented a policy of domainal reform. He was initially supportive of a conservative policy; however, after Commodore Perry's arrival at Uraga he was an active supporter of liberal policies and military modernization in the Kaga domain. As part of this policy, he founded the Nanao Shipyard (Nanao gunkanjo 七尾軍艦所).

Nariyasu was involved in much of the Kyoto-centered politics of the Bakumatsu period. He had entrusted a portion of the Kaga military to his brother and adopted heir Maeda Yoshiyasu, who took part in the defense of the imperial palace during the Kinmon Incident of 1864. However, Yoshiyasu did not put up a committed fight, and in defeat, chose to flee Kyoto. Nariyasu, enraged, placed Yoshiyasu under solitary confinement, and ordered the seppuku of the two Kaga domain elders, Matsudaira Daini and Ōnoki Nakasaburō. Working with the castle warden Honda Masahito, he also confined the activities of the pro-sonnō jōi samurai in the Kaga domain's castle town of Kanazawa. He retired in 1866, and was succeeded by Yoshiyasu; however, he retained personal control of the domain, very cautiously edging toward closer relations with Satsuma and Chōshū. Under Nariyasu's leadership, Kaga sided with them during the Boshin War, and took part in the imperial army's military action in the Echigo Campaign.

Nariyasu died in 1884, at age 72; he is buried in Ishikawa Prefecture.

Family

 * Father: Maeda Narinaga (1782–1824)
 * Brother: Maeda Yoshiyasu (1830–1874)

Published work
(published posthumously)
 * Sarugaku menhai ron 申樂免廢論. Tokyo: Ishiguro Bunkichi 石黒文吉, 1934.