Kanazawa Castle

Connection to Swords

Though Maeda Toshiie was known as a master of the spear—as his epithet "Mataza of the Spear" indicates—his mastery of swords was equally profound. Serving as one of Oda Nobunaga's red-armored corps from his youth, Toshiie spent his early years on the battlefield, cultivating a keen aesthetic eye for weaponry. Against the backdrop of Kaga's overwhelming wealth as a million-koku domain, the Maeda clan devoted themselves across generations to collecting celebrated blades, assembling one of Japan's foremost sword collections. The crown jewel of this collection is the Ōdenta Mitsuyo. This National Treasure, counted among the Five Swords Under Heaven, was forged by Miike Denta Mitsuyo, a master smith of Chikugo Province, and is said to have been bestowed upon Maeda Toshiie by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Its broad, majestic form and the dignity emanating from its deep curvature command an overwhelming presence befitting the name of the Five Swords Under Heaven. Beyond this masterpiece, the Maeda collection includes numerous National Treasure and Important Cultural Property-class swords, including the Maeda Tōjirō, a short sword by Awataguchi Yoshimitsu designated an Important Cultural Property. Official swordsmiths of the Kashū school were employed by the Kaga domain. Kanewaka, foremost among Kaga domain smiths, continued his craft across multiple generations. Darani Katsukuni was likewise a master smith of the Kaga domain. What particularly characterizes Kanazawa's sword culture is the technique of Kaga zōgan (Kaga inlay metalwork). This sophisticated method of inlaying precious metals—gold, silver, copper—into iron was applied to the creation of tsubas and menuki on sword mountings, producing designs of exquisite refinement and elevated aesthetic standards. The technique of Kaga zōgan continues to be transmitted today as traditional craftsmanship in Kanazawa; for sword enthusiasts, the fact that its origins lie in sword mountings is an essential point never to be overlooked. The Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Art houses celebrated swords and mountings, as well as masterpieces of the Kashū school and Kaga zōgan connected to the Kaga Maeda family. The National Treasure Ōdenta Mitsuyo is held in the collection of the Maeda Ikutoku-kai Foundation (Komaba, Meguro Ward, Tokyo), a family foundation of the Maeda clan, and is not on permanent public display.