Maeda

Origine et histoire

Maeda means 'front rice field' (前田) and is a topographic surname for families whose paddy land lay in front of or facing a dwelling or mountain. The Maeda clan became one of the wealthiest daimyo houses of the Edo period, ruling Kaga Domain (Kanazawa) with revenues second only to the Tokugawa shogunate. Their patronage made Kanazawa a major cultural center, earning it the nickname 'Little Kyoto'.