NHK's taiga drama "Toyotomi Brothers!" (General TV, Sundays at 8pm and other times) will begin airing on January 4th, 2026. The story centers around Toyotomi Hidenaga (Koichiro), who, together with his older brother Hideyoshi (Tōkichirō), uses their strong bond to achieve the miraculous feat of unifying the country. It's a success story of hope and dreams, depicting the rise of the powerful and the rise of the powerful. The lead role is played by actor Nakano Taiga. This time, we spoke about his impressions of Shun Oguri, who plays Oda Nobunaga, the "absolute lord" of the "brothers."
In the drama, Nakano plays the main character, Toyotomi Hidenaga, and Ikematsu Sosuke plays Hideyoshi, Hidenaga's older brother who is three years older than him.
In addition to the "brotherly bond" between Hidenaga and Hideyoshi, another highlight of this historical drama set in the Warring States period is the appearance of famous warlords. Among them, the presence of Oda Nobunaga, the "absolute lord" of the brothers, cannot be ignored. The role will be played by Oguri, whose 10th historical drama is "Toyotomi Brothers!"
Speaking of Oguri, he is still fresh in our memory for his starring role in the 2022 taiga drama "The 13 Lords of the Shogun." When announcing his appearance in "Toyotomi Brothers!", he said, "It's only been about three years since I finished ' The 13 Lords of the Shogun,' so I was initially worried about appearing in another taiga drama at this pace," but also revealed, "The fact that I would be able to see the Toyotomi brothers, played by Nakano Taiga and Ikematsu Sosuke, up close for the first time outweighed those feelings."
What kind of person will Oguri be to Nakano?
"I don't think there is any actor of our generation who hasn't been influenced by Shun Oguri. He's one of Japan's leading actors and such a great figure, yet he's also incredibly kind and supportive."
Nakano says that this is actually the first time they have worked together in a scene, and his impression of Oguri is that he is "someone who never stops trying."
"What I felt while working with him this time was that he is someone who never cuts corners. No matter what the situation, he is stricter with himself than anyone else, and I can only feel that stoicism and respect for him."
Nakano feels that Oguri has already become the spiritual pillar of the "Toyotomi Brothers!"
"When he accepted the role of Nobunaga, I got the impression that he was extremely determined and came to the set. He had very high expectations of us, and I think he is the spiritual pillar of 'Toyotomi Brothers!', and that attitude is the very first-class way of being that Oguri has built up. I feel his greatness and depth as an actor every day, and that is what makes him perfect for the role of Nobunaga." Nakano further added, "I don't think there is anyone else who could play Nobunaga so convincingly."
"Now I really feel what makes Oguri-san who he is, and the pressure he exerts as Nobunaga is so strong that it's hard to put it into words (laughs)."
"Toyotomi Brothers!" will start on January 4, 2026. The first episode will be extended by 15 minutes.
