Ryusei Yokohama plays the life of Tsutaya Juzaburo, who is said to have laid the foundations for Japan's media industry and pop culture, in the historical drama "UNBOUND (Berabou)." Starting on January 4, 2026, the drama will replace it with "Toyotomi Brothers!" starring Nakano Taiga. This will be the first Sengoku period historical drama in three years, with Toyotomi Hidenaga, the younger brother of the great general, as the protagonist. Here, we will review the basic information.
◇How will this success story of dreams and hopes overthrow the ruling class proceed?
"Toyotomi Brothers!" is the 65th taiga drama. The story centers around Toyotomi Hidenaga (Koichiro) and his older brother Hideyoshi (Tōkichirō), who, through their strong bond, 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. Hidenaga will be played by Nakano, and Hideyoshi will be played by Ikematsu Sosuke.
The script is written by Hiroyuki Yatsu, known for "Naoki Hanzawa" (TBS) and the Asadora"Ochoyan." The music is by Hideaki Kimura, and the narrator is Sakura Ando, an actor.
So how will the story unfold as it is told from the perspective of Toyotomi Hidenaga, the greatest aide in the world, who was so quoted that it was said, "If Hidenaga had lived longer, the Toyotomi clan would have been safe and secure in the country"?
Born into a poor farming family in Nakamura, Owari, Koichiro (later known as Hidenaga) lived a peaceful life, content with tilling the fields and living with the soil. One day, his long-lost older brother, Kinoshita Tōkichirō (later known as Hideyoshi), showed up in high spirits. He was aiming for great success by serving under the young Sengoku warlord, Oda Nobunaga, and asked Koichiro to become his retainer.
Forced to become a samurai after being dragged into the clutches of his forceful older brother, Koichiro leaves his hometown of Nakamura, leaving his mother and sisters behind. Coming to the castle town of Kiyosu with Tōkichirō, Koichiro has a fateful encounter with his lord, Nobunaga. After meeting other people who will influence the fate of the Kinoshita brothers, including Nobunaga's ambitious young retainers, the Battle of Okehazama finally begins. Nobunaga's miraculous victory makes Koichiro determined to live the life of a samurai, but this marks the beginning of a series of crises and hardships...
Under Nobunaga's leadership, Kinoshita Tokichiro's older brother rapidly rose to prominence as he pursued his quest to unify the country under his rule. His many military feats, considered geniuses, were made possible by his younger brother Koichiro's wisdom, courage, and innate "ability to coordinate." The Kinoshita brothers overcome each difficult mission with exquisite combinations. Eventually, Koichiro and his older brother begin to dream of creating a peaceful world where all people can live happily... and so the story unfolds.
◇ A heroine at the mercy of a popular warlord in a turbulent time. Expect full-scale battle scenes.
The taiga drama series has a long history of over 60 years, having begun in 1963. "Toyotomi Brothers!" is the 22nd series to be considered a "Sengoku period drama."
In addition to the "Toyotomi Brothers" Hideyoshi and Hidenaga, and Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu, who are considered the "Three Great Heroes" along with Hideyoshi, it is also not to be missed that popular warlords and daimyo such as Akechi Mitsuhide, Maeda Toshiie, Azai Nagamasa, Imagawa Yoshimoto, Shibata Katsuie, and Matsunaga Hisahide appear one after another.
It has already been announced that Shun Oguri will play Nobunaga, Kohei Matsushita will play Ieyasu, Kaname Jun will play Mitsuhide, Daito Shunsuke will play Ayumu Nakajima, Nakajima Ayumu will play Nagamasa, Otsuru Yoshitane will play Yoshimoto, Yamaguchi Makiya will play Katsuie, and Takenaka Naoto will play Hisahide. We can also look forward to authentic battle scenes, such as the Battle of Okehazama, in which the young Oda Nobunaga surprised and defeated the large army led by Imagawa Yoshimoto. If the story is to be depicted, the Honnoji Incident, the 19th in the Taiga drama series, will also be of interest.
An essential part of a historical drama set in the "Sengoku period" is a heroine who is at the mercy of the turbulent times. The leading figure is Nao, Koichiro's childhood friend and "first love." Nao is the daughter of a local lord from Nakamura, Owari, the hometown of Koichiro and Tōkichirō, and is played by Shiraishi Sei.
Unlike Nao, Nobunaga's younger sister, Ichi, has a turbulent life. She is described as "the most beautiful woman of the Sengoku period" and "the most beautiful woman in the world," and she is played by Aoi Miyazaki. This is Miyazaki's first taiga drama in 18 years, since her lead role in "Atsuhime" (2008). This will be her first time acting alongside Oguri, who plays her brother Nobunaga, in about 24 years.
Other cast members include Riho Yoshioka as Kei, "who walks the path of life with Koichiro as his legal wife," Hamabe Minami as Nene, "who climbs the ladder to become the most powerful man in Japan alongside her husband Hideyoshi," Sugai Yuuka as Matsu, "the wise wife who continues to walk alongside and support her husband Yuka Sugai Toshiie," and Nagi Inoue from Nogizaka46 as Chacha, "the eldest of the three Asai sisters who is tossed about by a strange fate." With the exception of Miyazaki, this will be the first time Shiraishi, Yoshioka, Hamabe, Sugai, and Inoue will appear in a taiga drama, so it will be interesting to see how they will add color to the story.
