The first episode of the 2026 NHK Taiga drama "Toyotomi Brothers!" (General TV, Sunday 8:00 PM and other channels), starring actor Nakano Taiga, titled "Two Monkeys," will be broadcast on January 4th with an extended 15 minutes. The story centers on Toyotomi Hidenaga, and depicts the miracle of the Toyotomi brothers, who, together with his older brother Hideyoshi, achieve the great feat of unifying Japan through their strong bond. There are only three days until the start of the series. Here, we introduce Oda Nobunaga, played by Shun Oguri.
Oda Nobunaga was a "lonely charismatic man who aimed to unify the country"
He was a charismatic military commander who expanded his territory with bold, innovative strategies and exceptional leadership, and aimed to unify the country under the slogan "Tenka Fubu" (unifying the country through military might). He was the absolute lord of the brothers Koichiro (later Hidenaga) and Tōkichirō (later Hideyoshi), who were striving to rise in their careers. He had a bitter past, having murdered his younger brother with his own hand during a battle for the throne.
In the first episode, "Two Monkeys," Koichiro (Nakano), born into a poor farming family in Nakamura, Owari, lives a contented life tilling the fields and living with the soil. One day, a group of bandits attacks the village, and his childhood friend, Nao (Shiraishi Sei), is about to be kidnapped. His brother, Tokichiro (Ikematsu Sosuke), returns to the village after an eight-year absence and saves him from peril.
The story goes that Tokichiro, who dreams of becoming a great success in the service of the young Sengoku warlord Oda Nobunaga (Shun Oguri Shun), asks Koichiro to become his retainer.
