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's only one day left until the start of the series. Here, we introduce Saito Tatsuoki, played by Hamada Tatsuomi.
Saito Tatsuoki was the grandson of Saito Dosan of Mino, who fought to the death against Nobunaga.
A feudal lord in Mino Province. Following the sudden death of his father, Yoshitatsu, Tatsuoki inherited the position of head of the Saito clan of Mino at the young age of 14. He was blessed with capable retainers, including his father's senior vassals, Takenaka Hanbei, and the Mino Three (Inaba Yoshimichi, Ando Moriyasu, and Ujiie Naomoto), but due to his young age, he struggled to control them. Oda Nobunaga, who had long been eyeing Mino, seized this opportunity to intensify his offensive, but Tatsuoki put up a full resistance, putting Nobunaga in a difficult position.
In the first episode, "Two Monkeys," Koichiro (Nakano), born into a poor farming family in Nakamura, Owari, spends his days contentedly cultivating 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.
