金沢百万石まつり
About the Kanazawa Hyakumangoku Festival
A historical figure who is inseparable when talking about Kaga Hyakumangoku.
I know their names, but what did they do? Here we will introduce it.
Maeda Toshiie
Born in 1538 as the fourth son of Maeda Toshimasa, lord of Arako Castle in Owari Province (modern-day western Aichi Prefecture), he entered the service of Oda Nobunaga at the age of 14, and was nicknamed "Yari no Mataza"(Spearman Mataza) for his preferred weapon being a spear. In 1558, at the age of 21, he married Matsu. In 1575, he became the lord of Echizen Fuchu (Echizen City, Fukui Prefecture), built Nanao Castle in 1581, and two years later entered Oyama Castle (Kanazawa Castle). In the last years of Toyotomi Hideyoshi's reign, he was one of the Five Grand Elders and was as powerful as Tokugawa Ieyasu. He died in 1599 at the age of 62 in Osaka Castle.
(Image: Portrait of Maeda Toshiie, owned by Oyama Jinja Shrine)
Maeda Matsu
Born in 1547 on Okinoshima Island, Kaito-gun, Owari Province(modern-day western Aichi Prefecture), he married Toshiie at the age of 12, and had two sons and eight daughters, including his eldest son Toshinaga. She was a close relationship with Toyotomi Hideyoshi and his wife One. As the wife of a warlord, she worked hard to make peace with Toyotomi Hideyoshi on behalf of her husband, who sided with Shibata Katsuie at the Battle of Shizugatake and was defeated. After Toshiie's death, she entered Buddhism and changed her name to Hoshun-in and looked after The 2nd Maeda lord,Toshinaga and The 3rd Maeda lord,Toshitsune for 18 years. When Tokugawa Ieyasu brought suspicion against the Maeda family, she went to Edo herself and lived there as a hostage for 15 years. She died in 1617 at the age of 71.
(Image: Portrait of Hoshun-in in the collection of the temple)
Princess Tama
She was born in 1599 as the second daughter of Hidetada, the second Tokugawa shogun. At the age of 3, she was married into the family of Toshitsune Maeda, who was 10 years old at the time, as a political ploy in exchange for Maeda Matsu's going to Edo as a hostage. The brides procession from Edo was accompanied by several hundred people, and legend has it that a kyogen actor danced ahead of the portable shrine to keep the young Princess Princess Tama occupied during the procession. She had three sons and four daughters, including Mitsutaka, the fourth lord of the Kaga domain, but died at the young age of 24 in 1622. Her family temple was Tentokuin, located in Kodatsuno 4-chome, Kanazawa City.
(Image: Portrait of Princess Tama from the collection of Tentokuin)
Maeda Toshinaga
The second lord of the Kaga domain. The eldest son of Toshiie, his mother was Hoshun-in. Born in Arako, Owari Province(modern-day western Aichi Prefecture) in 1562. In 1600, he joined the Eastern Army in the Battle of Sekigahara and became a feudal lord of 1.2 million kokufief in Kaga, Etchu, and Noto. In 1605, he handed over the feudal domain to his younger brother Toshinaga and retired to Toyama. 4 years later, Toyama Castle was destroyed by fire, and he built Takaoka Castle and moved his base there. Toshinaga navigated the transition from Toyotomi Hideyoshi to Tokugawa Ieyasu, a world of heavenly rulers, with skillful political maneuvering. He promoted Toshiie's rule over the territory and laid the groundwork for Toshitsune's rule over the territory.
(Image: Portrait of Lord Maeda Toshinaga owned by the Uozu Museum of History and Folklore)
Maeda Toshitsune
1593-1658 The third lord of the Kaga domain. The fourth son of Toshiie, his mother was Jufuku-in. He is famous for the anecdote of "Lord of the Nose Hair," who pretended to be mediocre in order to secure the safety of his million koku domain(one koku was considered enough rice to feed one person for a year). In reality, he is regarded as the most distinguished lord of the Kaga domain, having made numerous achievements in administrative and cultural affairs. Among his many accomplishments, he is especially famous for his founding of the Law of Reforming Cultivation, which became the basic system of the Kaga domain's agricultural administration. In 1639, he retired to Komatsu, and at the same time, he implemented cultural policies in the midst of a tense relationship with the Tokugawa Shogunate, including the division of power among the three domains of Kaga, Toyama, and Daishoji.
(Image: The only portrait of Maeda Toshitsune owned by Natadera Temple)
June 6, Friday, 2025
- at Kanazawa Shrine（金澤神社） and Seisonkaku（成巽閣）
- Omizutori Ritual（お水取りの儀式)＆Chasen Kuyo Service（茶筅供養）
- Shinto priests draw sacred water in the Omizutori ritual, the first official event of thr festival.(Free of charge)
- at Oyama Shrine（尾山神社）
- Kencha Shiki Ceremony（献茶祭）
- The Kencha Shiki ceremony is a Shinto adaption of the traditional tea ceremony in which tea is offered to the gods.
- Behind Shiinoki Cultural Complex
- Childrens' Lantern and Taiko Drum Parade（子ども提灯太鼓行列）
- Hundreds of local children carrying beautiful red lanterns and playing the taiko drums will march in Shiinoki Greens and Kanazawa Castle Park.
June 7, Saturday, 2025
- at Tea houses in and around Kenrokuen Garden（兼六園及び周辺）
- Hyakumangoku Chakai（百万石茶会）
- Enjoy traditional tea ceremonies. (1,500 yen fee)
- Hyakumangoku Parade（百万石行列）
- The highlight of the festival! The parade reenacts the entrance of Maeda Toshiie and his entourage into Kanazawa Castle. It features performers and locals in historical dress, marching bands, and other performances! It starts from the east side of Kanazawa Station and passes through Musashigatsuji and downtown before ending at Kanazawa Castle Park.
- Hyakumangoku Odori Nagashi Dances（百万石踊り流し）
- Min’yo dance teams flood the streets from Minami-cho to Katamachi, to dance the night away in colorful yukata. (Free of charge)
- at Kanazawa Castle Park
- Hyakumangoku Takigi Noh（百万石薪能）
- A Noh theatre performance is held at night by torchlight to cap off the parade day with the solemn sounds of Noh chants and taiko drums.
- at Kanazawa Castle Park
- Kaga Hyakumangoku Bon Shogatsu（加賀百万石「盆正月」）
- A “Summer New Year’s Celebration” featuring lion dancing, taiko drums, portable shrine processions, and more! (Free of charge)
June 8, Sunday, 2025
- at Tea houses in and around Kenrokuen Garden（兼六園及び周辺）
- Hyakumangoku Chakai（百万石茶会）
- Enjoy traditional tea ceremonies. (1,500 yen fee)
- at Kanazawa Castle Park Continued from Saturday,
- Kaga Hyakumangoku Bon Shogatsu（加賀百万石「盆正月」）
- A “Summer New Year’s Celebration” featuring lion dancing, taiko drums, portable shrine processions, and more! (Free of charge)
- at Kanazawa Kagekiza Theater（金沢歌劇座）
- Min'yo Hana Emaki（民謡華絵巻）（民謡華絵巻）
- Enjoy the folk songs of Kanazawa, as well as Ishikawa Prefecture and other regions of Japan.
By Train
From Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya Station: 2 hr and 30 min
From Kyoto Station: 2 hr 10 min
From Osaka Station: 2 hr 30 min
By Plane
From Narita Airport to Komatsu Airport: 1 hr 15 min
From Haneda Airport to Komatsu Airport: 1 hr
By Bus
From Kyoto Station: 4 hr 30 min
From Osaka Station: 6 hr
The Kanazawa Hyakumangoku Festival is held in honor of the founder of the Kaga Domain, Maeda Toshiie, who entered Kanazawa Castle on June 14, 1583, and laid the foundation of Kanazawa. The date of June 14 is based on the Oyama Jinja Shrine Journal.
The festival has its roots in the Kanazawa City Festival that was held from 1923 to 1945 as the Kanazawa City Festival in conjunction with the Hokoku Festival at Oyama Jinja Shrine. After the war, the Oyama Festival was held for six years from 1946 under the guidance of the Occupation Forces as the Oyama Jinja Shrine Hosan Association.
The current Kanazawa Hyakumangoku Festival was first held in 1952 as the Commerce and Industry Festival, led by Kanazawa City and the Kanazawa Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Since then, the festival has evolved into its current form, with a lively performance of traditional Kanazawa events that have been handed down over the past 400 years, including the gorgeous Hyakumangoku procession.
Since the first time in 1984 (the 33rd) when an actor was cast as Toshiie, the leading role of the Hyakumangoku procession, the event has grown into a major early summer event that can be transmitted nationwide.