Maeda Matsu

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Matsu as she is depicted in a sculpture at the Oyama Shrine in Kanazawa.

Maeda Matsu (前田まつ, Maeda Matsu^?) (1547-1617) was the respective wife of the reputed Maeda Toshiie and a famous figure of drama following the latter years of the Sengoku Period of Feudal Japan. As Matsu possessed a very strong will even at the point of her childhood, she regularly versed herself in martial arts, marrying Toshiie at a later time and highly valueing her husbands' personal welfare under the Oda and the condition of their respective clan: the Maeda. By essentially cementing the Maeda's influence beneath the jurisdiction of Oda Nobunaga, Matsu gave birth to many sons, willingly giving the latter her eldest--Toshinaga--as an initial husband for his daughter.^{[citation needed]} Following the death of her husband in 1599, Matsu became exceedingly worried over the future of her clan; and knowing that by continuing to carry 'Maeda' in her name would arouse some potential means of political contention^{[citation needed]}, Matsu took the Buddhist tonsure and assumed the name of "Hoshun-in" (芳春院, "Hoshun-in"^?). Volunatarily going as a hostage to the capital of Edo initially following Tokugawa Ieyasu's victory over the land in 1600, Matsu became as close as willingly possible to this respective shogun, loathing him by day and night^{[citation needed]} for the sake of earning his liking, and thus ensuring that the Maeda survived by all necessary means. In effect to Matsu's beheavior and characteristics, her sons--Toshinaga, Toshimasa, Toshitsune, Toshitaka, and Toshitoyo, who were each born throughout Matsu's marriage to Toshiie--were respectively allowed their own individual title of daimyo, additionally carying with themselves a considerate amount of land. After Ieyasu had passed away in 1616, Matsu died one year later, regarded by her clansmen and others alike as a figure of great respect.