The new cast for the NHK Taiga drama "Toyotomi Brothers!" starring Nakano Taiga, which will start airing on January 4, 2026, was announced on December Getsuku, revealing that 10 new cast members will appear, including Takenaka Naoto, Okura Koji, and Miyagawa Ichirota.
Takenaka will play Matsunaga Hisahide, a Sengoku period warlord from Yamato Province (present-day Nara Prefecture), Okura will play Sakai Kizaemon, a local lord with great influence in Nakamura, Owari Province, Miyagawa will play Asano Nagakatsu, the father of Nene (Hamabe Minami), and Moriguchi Yoko will play Nene's mother, Fuku.
Furthermore, it has been revealed that Sugawara Daikichi will play the role of Sakuma Nobumori, Suwa Taro will play the role of Hayashi Hidetada, Mizuhashi Kenji will play the role of Mori Kansei, Ikeda Tetsuhiro will play the role of Niwa Nagahide, Shirasu Jin will play the role of Sassa Narimasa, and Kanai Hiroto will play the role of Sakuma Morishige.
Producer Takahashi Yukako commented, "For Matsunaga Hisahide, who is famous for his heroic character, we have welcomed the legendary Takenaka Naoto, who has played Hideyoshi twice in previous taiga dramas. Please look forward to his chemistry with the main characters. Sakai Kizaemon, the father of original character Nao (Shiraishi Sei), is also quite an eccentric character. The charm of the characters is at full throttle from the beginning, with the gentleness of the Asano Nagakatsu and Fuku couple who raised Nene, and the dignified and serious nature of the Oda vassals who serve Nobunaga. I'm sure you'll be able to find your favorite character as you watch."
"Toyotomi Brothers!" is a success story of hope and dreams, depicting the miracle of the Toyotomi brothers' rise to power, with Hidenaga, the younger brother of "the great ruler of Japan," Toyotomi Hideyoshi, as the protagonist. Hidenaga is played by Nakano Taiga, and Hideyoshi is played by Ikematsu Sosuke. The script is written by Yatsushi Hiroyuki, known for "Hanzawa Naoki" (TBS) and the Asadora drama "Ochoyan."
The roles of the 10 new cast members are as follows:
◇Hidehisa Matsunaga (Naoto Takenaka)
A Sengoku period warlord from Yamato Province (present-day Nara Prefecture). He often incurred the wrath of those around him due to his numerous betrayals and quick changes of heart. When Oda Nobunaga came to Kyoto with Ashikaga Yoshiaki, he was one of the first to submit to Oda, and became involved with Koichiro and others. He was also renowned as a tea master.
◇Kizaemon Sakai (played by Koji Okura)
He is a local lord with great influence in Nakamura, Owari Province. He hates Tōkichirō for certain reasons, and is not happy with the close relationship between Koichiro and his daughter, Nao.
◇ Nagakatsu Asano (Ichirota Miyagawa)
A samurai serving the Oda clan and Nene's father, he fought alongside Koichiro's late father, Yaemon, and still keeps a close eye on Tōkichirō.
◇Clothes (Moriguchi Yoko)
Nene's mother. She is a caring wife who supports her husband, who is kind-hearted but somewhat unreliable.
◇ Nobumori Sakuma (played by Daikichi Sugawara)
The chief retainer of the Oda clan. He was nicknamed "Retreat Sakuma" because he often led the rear guard during retreats.
◇Hidemasa Hayashi (Taro Suwa)
One of the chief retainers of the Oda clan, he is skilled in administrative matters, focusing on diplomacy and administration.
◇Mori Yoshinari (Kenji Mizuhashi)
He excelled in martial arts, and was known as a master of the spear. Mori Shigetoshi (also known as Ranmaru), who became Nobunaga's attendant, was Kanenari's son.
◇Nagahide Niwa (Tetsuhiro Ikeda)
A chief retainer whom Nobunaga trusted absolutely, known as "Goroza." Among his vassals, many of whom were hot-blooded military commanders, he practiced both the arts and martial arts, and supported the Oda clan.
◇Sasaki Narimasa (played by Shirasu Jin)
He was a hot-blooded man whose war efforts were recognized by Nobunaga and who rose to become the leader of the Kurohoroshu, one of the elite troops.
◇ Morishige Sakuma (Hiroto Kanai)
He has experience serving both Nobunaga and his younger brother, Nobukatsu. During the Battle of Okehazama, he was put in charge of the strategic Marunetori Fort, but...
