The first episode of the 2026 NHK Taiga drama "Toyotomi Brothers!" (General TV, Sundays at 8:00 PM and other times), 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 the country through their strong bond. There's only one day left until the start. Here, we introduce Tokugawa Ieyasu, played by Kohei Matsushita.
Tokugawa Ieyasu was the "strongest rival of the Toyotomi brothers."
One of the Three Great Heroes of the Sengoku Period, he put an end to the turbulent times of the Sengoku Period and established a time of peace as the first Shogun of the Edo Shogunate. His fate changed dramatically after his lord, Imagawa Yoshimoto, was killed by Nobunaga in the Battle of Okehazama. After Nobunaga's death, he became the greatest and most powerful rival to the Toyotomi brothers, who sought to unify the country.
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.
