Princess Maahime (摩阿姫)
Princess Mahime (1572- November 23, 1605) was the third daughter of Toshiie MAEDA and Hoshunin. However, some scholars say that she was not Hoshuin's biological daughter but a child of Toshiie's concubine. She first became a concubine of Hideyoshi TOYOTOMI before marrying Atsufusa MADENOKOJI.
Her given name was Maa (written as 摩阿 or 麻阿 in Japanese).
Biography
Ma became engaged to Juzo SAKUMA, who was the vassal of Katsuie SHIBATA, and began to live in Kitanosho-jo Castle in 1582.
However, Katsuie SHIBATA was by Hideyoshi in the Battle of Shizugatake in 1583 and Juzo committed suicide. Maa escaped out of the castle and returned home to the Maeda family.
She became a concubine of Hideyoshi in 1585 and began to be called 'Kagadono' (Mrs. Kaga, because of her place of origin).
However, she was physically fragile and she often spent her time at home in the residence of the Maeda family.
In April 1598 she took part in a hanami party (cherry blossom viewing party) hosted by Hideyoshi along with his legal wife and other concubines.
Maa made the following waka (a traditional Japanese poem of thirty-one syllables) at that time:
I never get tired of gazing at the cherry blossom in full bloom, which flourish all at once every spring in the mountain after supporting deep snows.'
After that, she dissolved the concubinage with Hideyoshi for a reason of her illness.
She later got married with Atsufusa MADENOKOJI, who was a court noble. Although, she had a son Toshitada MAEDA with Atsufusa, she was divorced with him.
She retuned to Kanazawa with her son Toshitada, and she died on November 23, 1605. Her graveyard is located in Hoshun-in Temple, an affiliated temple on the premise of Daitoku-ji Temple in Kita Ward, Kyoto City.
Her son Toshitada served the Maeda Domain.