The new cast of the NHK Taiga drama "Toyotomi Brothers!" starring Taiga Nakano, which will be broadcast in 2026, was announced on the NHK Drama Official X (formerly Twitter) on February 3rd, revealing that Ayumu Nakajima will be playing the role of Nagamasa Azai.
"Toyotomi Brothers!" is a success story of hope and dreams depicting the miracle of the Toyotomi brothers who accomplished the great feat of unifying the country with their strong bond, with Hidenaga, the younger brother of "the ruler of Japan," as the main character. The script is written by Hiroyuki Yatsu, who is known for "Naoki Hanzawa" and the TV drama series "Ochoyan."
Nagamasa Azai, played by Nakajima, is a young military commander with strong sense of justice and great intelligence. He allies with the Oda clan, and as proof of this, he marries Nobunaga's younger sister, Oichi. They have three daughters, Chacha, Hatsu, and Go, and live a happy married life. When Nobunaga, who accompanied Shogun Yoshiaki Ashikaga to Kyoto, comes into conflict with Yoshikage Asakura of Echizen, Nagamasa sides with the Asakura clan and rebels against his brother-in-law, Nobunaga.
Nakajima said, "My goal this time is to portray Azai Nagamasa not as a 'historical figure', but as a real human being. So rather than portraying him in a way that is beyond my imagination, I would like to approach the role by fully understanding what Nagamasa's circumstances were like for me."
