Toshiie Maeda Heritage Sites around Kanazawa, Vol. 3
2025.10.27
Utatsuyama, Kodatsuno & Takaramachi Area
A serene corridor of remembrance and prayer — the Utatsuyama, Kodatsuno, and Takaramachi area breathes with the spirit of the Maeda family. From Tentokuin Temple, dedicated to Princess Tama-hime, to Tōunji Temple bearing Toshiie’s posthumous name, the Nodayama Maeda Clan Cemetery where generations of lords rest, and Hōenji Temple founded by Toshiie himself—here, Zen spirituality × ancestral landscapes × women’s history intertwine on a single hillside. This page lets you explore each site through 360° panoramic photos, while compactly explaining the architecture, gardens, statues, and five-ringed stupa forms, along with historical context, visiting tips, and estimated time. Feel the gentle balance of light and shadow, wind and temple bells—a quiet dignity unique to these slopes of Kanazawa.
Tentokuin Temple is the memorial temple (bodaiji) dedicated to Princess Tama-hime, beloved wife of Maeda Toshitsune, the third lord of Kaga. Known locally as the “Temple of Princess Tama,” it was founded by Toshitsune to mourn his wife’s early passing at age 24. Born the daughter of Tokugawa Hidetada, she was wed to Toshitsune and helped secure the Maeda family’s strong ties with the Tokugawa shogunate. The temple’s name derives from her posthumous Buddhist title, “Tentokuin-den Ken’un Juntei Daizennjōni.” Here, the quiet temple on a small plateau keeps alive the story of one noblewoman who bridged two great clans.
Panoramic View
Founded
1623 (Genna 9)
Sect
Sōtō Zen (Mountain Name: Kinryūzan)
Founder / Patron
Founder: Zen Master Kyosan Sentei / Patron: Maeda Toshitsune
Features
Two-storied Sanmon gate, Main Hall, “Mokusho Zen Garden,” teahouse, and mechanical doll theater
Cultural Property
The Sanmon (1694) is a Tangible Cultural Property of Ishikawa Prefecture; other buildings later reconstructed
History
Destroyed several times by fire; only the Sanmon gate remains from 1694
Condition
Excellent; garden and facilities open to visitors
Notes
Features include a puppet performance on Tama-hime’s life, gold-leaf goshuin experience, and matcha service
🗺 Address:4-4-4 Kodatsuno, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 🚶 Access: Approx. 20 minutes by bus from Kanazawa Station → 3 min walk from “Tentokuin-mae” stop
⏳ Suggested Visit Time Highlights only: about 30 minutes Full experience (garden, tea, exhibits): around 60 minutes
Tōunji is a Sōtō Zen temple in Nodamachi, Kanazawa, formally known by its mountain name Kōtokuzan. Also called the shrine of “Kumanbō Daigongen,” it served under the protection of the Maeda clan as the memorial and guardian temple for Maeda Toshiie, founder of the Kaga domain. The temple’s name derives from Toshiie’s posthumous Buddhist title, Kōtokuin-den Tōun Jōken Daikoshi. Founded by Zensō Shōzan Joge (the second abbot of Hōenji), it was first a small sub-temple known as “Hōenji (Kōan)” before being granted the name Tōunji.
Panoramic View
Founded
1600 (Keichō 5)
Founder
Shōzan Joge (2nd abbot of Hōenji)
Sect
Sōtō Zen
Principal Image
Shakyamuni Buddha
Features
Main Hall; Toshiie “remote-worship” grave (a ~3 m gorintō stupa); shrine to Kumanbō Daigongen.
Maintained as an active temple (on a smaller scale than in the past).
Cultural Assets
Portraits of Maeda Toshiie and Lady Hōshunin (city-designated cultural properties).
Notes
Toshiie “remote-worship” grave; memorial ties with the Kaga Eight Families; historic faith in Kumanbō Daigongen.
🗺 Address:Chi-386 Nodamachi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 🚶 Access: About 30 minutes by bus from Kanazawa Station → 3-minute walk from “Noda” stop on Hokuriku Railroad Bus.
⏳ Suggested Visit Time Essentials: about 10 minutes Leisurely visit: around 20 minutes
Toshiie “Remote-Worship” Grave: A ~3 m gorintō stupa said to have been erected so Lady Hōshunin (Toshiie’s wife) could pay respects from here when visiting the Nodayama cemetery was difficult.
Portraits of the Maeda: The temple preserves city-designated portraits of Toshiie and Lady Hōshunin.
Kumanbō Daigongen: A syncretic faith venerating three guardian deities (Kumanbō, Hachimanbō, Teruwakabō), once enshrined at Kanazawa Castle and later closely tied to Tōunji.
Ties to the Lords of Kaga: Bearing Toshiie’s posthumous name, the temple received lands and patronage, serving as a special memorial and guardian temple for the Maeda family.
Graves of Notables: Includes figures such as Shimada Ichiro, a former Kaga retainer linked to the Meiji-era Kioi-zaka Incident.
Seasonal Atmosphere: Stone monuments and grave layout create evocative scenery—particularly striking under winter snow or spring light.
📌 Trivia
Temple Name: “Kōtokuzan Tōunji” honors Toshiie’s Buddhist title Kōtokuin-den Tōun Jōken Daikoshi.
Hōshunin’s Devotion: After fires made rebuilding difficult, Lady Hōshunin (Matsu) personally donated lands to sustain the temple.
Two Major Fires: Conflagrations in 1616 and 1873 reshaped the complex; later reconstruction created today’s more compact form.
Also Known as “Kumanbō”: Reflecting its deep-rooted role as a center of local faith.
Guardian Temple Role: Conducted Toshiie’s funeral rites and served as a place to venerate his grave from afar, functioning as a key bodaiji for the Maeda.
Access Over Time: Once a busy pilgrimage route, it is now a quiet, lesser-known stop off mainstream tourist circuits.
Grave of Maeda Toshiie (Maeda Clan Cemetery of the Kaga Lords)
The Maeda clan cemetery at Nodayama in Kanazawa enshrines the successive lords of Kaga and their families. Its origins trace to the burial of Toshiie’s elder brother, Maeda Toshihisa, and the site was later adopted—by Toshiie’s will—as the clan’s principal cemetery. Set on a forested hillside a short distance from Kanazawa Castle, the grounds contain around 80 graves, with the tomb of Maeda Toshiie situated at the highest point.
Panoramic View
Designation
National Historic Site: “Maeda Clan Cemetery of the Kaga Lords” (with Toshiie’s grave as its core)
Location
Nodayama, Kanazawa (Ishikawa Pref.) and Takaoka (Toyama Pref., for Toshinaga’s grave)
Date of Designation
Feb. 12, 2009
Area
Kanazawa: 86,294.35 m² / Takaoka (Toshinaga): 33,391.91 m²
Structure & Features
Earthen mounded tombs with three-tiered square bases encircled by ditches; retainers’ and townspeople’s graves on lower terraces
Main Burials
Toshiie, Lady Matsu, Toshinaga, and successive lords and family members
Research
Since 2004, surveys and excavations have clarified ditch structures and construction methods
Condition
Generally good; however, the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake caused damage to lanterns and railings—use caution when visiting.
🗺 Address:Nodayama Cemetery, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 🚶 Access: From Kanazawa Station, take a Hokuriku Railroad or city bus to “Nodayama” and walk uphill 20–30 minutes. See Kanazawa tourist information for details.
⏳ Suggested Visit Time Graves only: about 30–45 minutes Full circuit with inscriptions and views: around 60–90 minutes
📍 Highlights
Tomb of Maeda Toshiie: At the uppermost terrace; a three-tiered square tumulus encircled by a square ditch, approx. 19 m per side.
Tomb of Lady Matsu: Beside Toshiie’s, their paired placement is especially moving.
Toshinaga’s Tomb (Takaoka): Together with the Kanazawa cemetery, it forms a paired historic designation.
Graves of Retainers: Lower terraces hold monuments of leading Kaga retainers, including the Eight Families.
Vistas: The hillside setting offers broad views over the city.
Nature: Ancient pines and cedars, with seasonal interplay of moss and filtered light.
📌 Trivia
Toshiie’s Will: Tradition holds he chose Nodayama as the Maeda burial ground.
Distinct Style: The earthen tumuli with surrounding ditches are unusual among daimyo cemeteries.
Paired Designation: The National Historic Site spans both Kanazawa and Takaoka (Toshinaga).
Archaeology: Recent excavations have clarified ditch forms and construction techniques.
Earthquake Note: The Jan. 2024 Noto earthquake damaged some lanterns and railings—exercise caution and heed on-site instructions.
Founded by Maeda Toshiie, Hōenji is a Sōtō Zen temple affectionately known as the “Temple of Toshiie and Matsu.” Toshiie revered the Zen master Daitō Keijo during his years in Echizen-Fuchū and invited him to Kanazawa to establish this temple. Originally located near today’s Kenrokuen Garden, the complex was later relocated to Kodatsuno. As a bodaiji of the Maeda family, it preserves ancestral tablets, portraits, and objects tied to the clan.
Panoramic View
Founded
1583 (Tenshō 11)
Patron
Maeda Toshiie
Founder
Zen Master Daitō Keijo
Sect
Sōtō Zen (Mountain Name: Gohōzan Hōenji)
Relocation & Fires
1620: moved to Kodatsuno under Toshitsune; major fires in the Hōreki era and early Meiji followed by reconstruction
Condition
Main Hall, Sanmon, and Kuri (kitchen/quarters) preserved and open as Registered Tangible Cultural Properties
Designation
Sanmon, Main Hall, and Kuri: National Registered Tangible Cultural Properties
Notes
Two imposing Nio guardian statues; images donated by Toshiie; Maeda ancestral tablets enshrined
🗺 Address:6-14 Takaramachi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 🚶 Access: From Kanazawa Station, take the Yuwaku Line bus via Kodatsuno → 8-minute walk from “Kodatsuno.”
⏳ Suggested Visit Time Grounds: about 20–30 minutes Including interior: around 45 minutes
Sanmon, Main Hall, and Kuri: All designated as National Registered Tangible Cultural Properties. The Meiji 1 (1868) Main Hall displays dignified late-Edo/early-Meiji style.
Nio Guardians: Two massive Nio statues—one Kamakura-period original and one Showa reconstruction—stand within.
Memorial Halls: Ancestral tablet hall, image hall, and a hair reliquary hall traditionally said to enshrine Toshiie’s hair.
Garden Ambience: A layout harmonizing with the terrain and greenery, echoing the temple’s earlier setting near Kenrokuen.
Hokuriku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage: No. 13 on the regional Kannon pilgrimage route.
📌 Trivia
Relocation: Initially near present-day Kenrokuen, it was moved to Kodatsuno under Toshitsune.
Fire & Revival: Major losses in the Hōreki era and early Meiji; successive rebuilding led to today’s ensemble.
Toshiie’s Funeral: Tradition holds that his funeral rites were conducted here.
Ties to Kenrokuen: The temple’s former location near Kenrokuen hints at historical links in garden planning and spatial composition.
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