The new cast of the NHK Taiga drama "Toyotomi Brothers!" starring Nakano Taiga, which will be broadcast in 2026, was announced on February 3rd on the official NHK drama X (formerly Twitter), and it was revealed that Yamaguchi Makiya will appear as Shibata Katsuie. This will be his "Taiga co-starring" with Oguri Shun, who plays Oda Nobunaga, following "The 13 Lords of the Shogun" (2022). "He is a man of name and substance, so I have no worries about his loyalty. Katsuie is an absolutely necessary character to portray Nobunaga, so I will play him with care," he said.
"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."
Shibata Katsuie, played by Yamaguchi, was one of Oda Nobunaga's senior vassals. He was feared for his bravery and skill in battle, earning him the nickname "Demon Shibata." When he was a foot soldier, he was a scary presence for Koichirō (Hidenaga) and Tōkichirō (Hideyoshi). As the two of them rose in rank, Shibata began to openly dislike him. After Nobunaga's death, they fought over the succession at the "Kiyosu Conference," and eventually clashed with the brothers at the "Battle of Shizugatake." He was "a huge wall standing in the way of the brothers."
Yamaguchi said of his impression of Shibata, "He was a brave and courageous samurai with many nicknames such as 'Demon Shibata' and 'Bakure Shibata,' but at the same time his subordinates loved him as their father and he was loyal to them. I think he is a truly fascinating character." He added, "This will be my fifth time appearing in a taiga drama, and I consider it a great honor to be able to take part. I am excited to be able to play Shibata Katsuie, one of the warlords I admire."
