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. Here, we introduce Akechi Mitsuhide, played by Kaname Jun.
Akechi Mitsuhide is a mysterious villain who killed his lord, Oda Nobunaga.
He was a wicked minister who drove his lord, the most powerful man in Japan, Oda Nobunaga, to commit suicide during the Honnoji Incident, said to be the greatest mystery in Japanese history, and greatly changed the course of history. He was a man of character who was loved by his subjects and praised as a wise ruler, and is also said to have been a cultured and highly educated man, but his true identity remains shrouded in mystery.
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.
