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 the country through their strong bond. There are only two days until the start of the series. Here, we introduce Shibata Katsuie, played by Yamaguchi Makiya.
Shibata Katsuie is "a huge wall standing in the way of the brothers."
One of Oda Nobunaga's senior vassals. A brave and fearless warrior, he was feared and nicknamed "Demon Shibata." When he was a foot soldier, he was a scary presence for Koichiro and Tokichirō, who looked down on him. As the two rose in rank, he began to openly dislike him. After Nobunaga's death, they fought over the succession at the Kiyosu Conference, and eventually clashed with his brother at the Battle of Shizugatake.
In the first episode, "Two Monkeys," Koichiro (Nakano), born into a poor farming family in Nakamura, Owari, lives a contented life tilling 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.
