Taiga drama "Toyotomi Brothers!" Imagawa Yoshimoto is played by Otsuru Yoshitan

On December 10th, NHK announced the new cast for the 2026 NHK Taiga drama "Toyotomi Brothers!" (broadcasting begins on January 4th, with the first episode extended by 15 minutes), starring Taiga Nakano. It was revealed that Yoshitaka Ohtsuru will be appearing as Imagawa Yoshimoto, a Sengoku daimyo of Suruga.

Imagawa Yoshimoto was a man of great learning, who governed his territory well, and who excelled in military prowess, earning him the nickname "the best archer in the Tokaido region." He led a large army and fought against Oda Nobunaga (played by Shun Oguri) over eastern Owari.

Otsuru commented, "In Suginami Ward, Tokyo, where I was born and raised, there is a place called 'Imagawa,' and it is well known locally that the descendants of Imagawa Yoshimoto were the lords of the area. Also, the names 'Yoshimoto' and 'Yoshitan' sound very similar, and I couldn't help but feel something spiritual about them (laughs)."

"Imagawa Yoshimoto has often been described as an unlucky shogun with aristocratic tastes, but I hear that new research in recent years has begun to appreciate another side of him, such as the fact that he implemented advanced economic policies and governance for his time during the fierce Warring States period. I put my heart into my performance so that I could express this new side of him in the drama," he said.

"Toyotomi Brothers!" is a success story of hope and dreams, depicting the miracle of the Toyotomi brothers, Hidenaga, the younger brother of "the great ruler of Japan," Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who achieved the great feat of unifying the country through their strong bond. Hidenaga will be played by Nakano, and Hideyoshi by Ikematsu Sosuke. The script will be written by Yatsushi Hiroyuki, known for "Hanzawa Naoki" (TBS) and the Asadora drama "Ochoyan."