was a Japanese samurai

Samurai

is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...

 of the Sengoku period

Sengoku period

The or Warring States period in Japanese history was a time of social upheaval, political intrigue, and nearly constant military conflict that lasted roughly from the middle of the 15th century to the beginning of the 17th century. The name "Sengoku" was adopted by Japanese historians in reference...

. Also known as Toshiharu (利治), he was the son of Maeda Toshitaka. Ruled Arako Castle in Owari Province

Owari Province

was an old province of Japan that is now the western half of present day Aichi Prefecture, including much of modern Nagoya. Its abbreviation is Bishū .-History:The province was created in 646....

. His children included: Toshihisa (?-1583), Yasukatsu (?-1594), Toshifusa, (Sawaki) Yoshiyuki (?-1572), Hidetsugu (?-1585), Masa (given in marriage to Takabatake Sadayoshi), and the famous Maeda Toshiie

Maeda Toshiie

was one of the leading generals of Oda Nobunaga following the Sengoku period of the 16th century extending to the Azuchi-Momoyama period. His father was Maeda Toshimasa. He was the fourth of seven brothers. His childhood name was "Inuchiyo" . His preferred weapon was a yari and he was known as...

 (1539-1599), lord of the "Million Koku Kaga Domain

Kaga Domain

The was a powerful feudal domain in Kaga, Noto and Etchū Provinces of Japan during the Edo period. The domain was founded by Maeda Toshiie and headed by the Maeda clan. Its income rating, over 1,000,000 koku, was the highest in the nation after the Tokugawa shogunate itself...

". Toshimasa was a vassal of Oda Nobuhide, who nominally ruled Owari Province from his seat at Kiyosu Castle.

Maeda Toshimasa was depicted by Sugawara Bunta in the 2002 NHK historical drama Toshiie to Matsu& (利家とまつ).

Source: http://nekhet.ddo.jp/people/japan/maeda01.html