Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Art (Maeda Ikutoku Foundation Sonkeikaku Library Branch)

The Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Art, which opened in 1959 (Showa 34), is a comprehensive art museum representing Ishikawa Prefecture and houses the 'Maeda Ikutoku Foundation Sonkeikaku Library Branch,' which permanently displays the Maeda Ikutoku Foundation collection centered on the legacy of the Maeda clan of Kaga Domain. It has become an extraordinarily important destination for nihonto (Japanese sword) enthusiasts.

The Maeda Ikutoku Foundation is a public-benefit organization established by the Maeda clan during the Meiji period; the Maeda family had ruled Kaga Domain (1 million koku) throughout the Edo period and has managed and preserved the art, armor, weapons, and documents treasured by successive Maeda generations to this day. The collection includes 22 National Treasures and 77 Important Cultural Properties, with the sword collection particularly renowned as one of Japan's finest.

National Treasure · Tenka Goshuken: 'Daitentai Mitsuyo'

The tachi 'Mei: Mitsuyo-saku (Famous Sword: Daitentai)' held by the Sonkeikaku Library is renowned as one of the Tenka Goshuken (Five Greatest Swords Under Heaven) and is a supreme National Treasure. Said to have been forged by Miike Mitsuyo in the late Heian period (late 11th century), this tachi has long been revered as a 'spirit sword that keeps people at a distance' due to its imposing presence and mystical provenance. It is said to have passed from the Muromachi shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaki to Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and later was presented to Maeda Toshiie, the first daimyo of Kaga Domain, by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Since then, it has been preserved as a family treasure of the Maeda clan for over 400 years.

National Treasure: 'Tomita-e'

The katana 'Unsigned Yoshihiro (Famous Sword: Tomita-e),' also designated a National Treasure, is regarded as a masterwork by the renowned craftsman Go Yoshihiro (also called Kō Yoshihiro) of Etchū Province during the Northern and Southern Courts period. It bears the name 'Tomita-e,' derived from its ownership by Tomita Ippaku, a senior retainer of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and is said to have been transferred to the Maeda family in 1598 (Keichō 3).

Important Cultural Property: 'Maeda Tōjirō'

The tantō 'Mei: Yoshimitsu (Famous Sword: Maeda Tōjirō)' is an Important Cultural Property attributed to the renowned Kyoto Awataguchiha craftsman Tōjirō Yoshimitsu of the Kamakura period. Transmitted through generations as part of the Maeda family collection, it exemplifies the distinctive sharpness and elegance characteristic of Yoshimitsu's tantō work.

At the special exhibition held in April 2024, 'Famous Swords of the Maeda Clan of Kaga Domain — The Treasured Tenka Goshuken, 'Daitentai Mitsuyo' Comes to Ishikawa,' three swords were displayed together for the first time in 57 years, drawing significant attention from sword enthusiasts and collectors both domestically and internationally. Following the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen extension (March 2024), access to Kanazawa has improved further, and visitor numbers show an upward trend.

The permanent exhibition of the Maeda Ikutoku Foundation collection displays swords alongside crafts, paintings, and documents throughout the year, making it a uniquely positioned institution in Japan for viewing National Treasure-class masterpieces up close. Renowned works such as a reproduction of Hasegawa Tōhaku's 'Shōrin zu byōbu (Pine Forest Screen)' are also on display, offering comprehensive and impressive holdings of Japanese art beyond swords alone.