The second episode, "The Bell of Wishes," of the 2026 NHK Taiga drama "Toyotomi Brothers!" (General TV, Sunday 8:00 PM, etc.), starring actor Taiga Nakano, was broadcast on January 11th. The episode depicted the departure of Koichiro (played by Nakano), and Maki Sakai, who plays the brothers' mother, Naka, spoke about her role and her "four children."
"Toyotomi Brothers!" is the 65th taiga drama. It is a success story of hope and dreams, depicting the miracle of the Toyotomi brothers, Hidenaga (Koichiro) and his older brother Hideyoshi (Tokichiro), who achieve the great feat of unifying the country with their strong bond.
Naka is "a mother who warmly watches over her sons' career advancement."
She was the mother of the Toyotomi brothers. She lost her husband at an early age and raised two sons and two daughters on her own. She watched over her sons' extraordinary success with both joy and confusion, and when Hideyoshi became the most powerful man in Japan and became regent, she came to be known as "Omandokoro."
Sakai says, "Naka is a truly warm, strong, and kind woman. She's the kind of person who naturally makes you think, 'I wish I had a mother like that.'"
"It's a role that has been played by many famous actors, so to be honest I was conscious of it, and I was also worried about whether I could do it. But the production manager, Mr. Matsukawa (Hiroyuki), told me, 'Let's do it without thinking about the role that's been played up until now,' and that gave me the push I needed."
Sakai also revealed, "I hope to work with all the staff to create the story of 'Toyotomi Brothers!' that Yatsuka will write."
"No matter how high her social status, Naka is someone who can always feel that 'her family's happiness is her own happiness.' That's why I want to cherish the warmth that surrounds her family until the very end. This is my first time playing a character for such a long period of time, and it may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I want to immerse myself completely in the character of Naka and play the role with care."
We also asked Sakai about his four children.
"Tokichiro (Ikematsu Sosuke) is, to put it in a positive way, a boy with explosive power, but to put it in a negative way, like a runaway locomotive. But he has a charm that makes people want to see him, and you really can't take your eyes off him. Naka is a big fan of Tokichiro, and the director told me, 'Please play him as a 'Tokichiro lover.' Ikematsu's Tokichiro is very charming, so I am definitely playing him as a 'Tokichiro lover' (laughs). Of course, I care about Koichiro just as much. In contrast to his brother, Koichiro is calm, can take a step back and look at what is going on around him, and is a boy who cares about his family. For Naka, Koichiro is someone she can return to when her feelings are wavering, and is the son who makes her think, 'I'll be okay as long as I have this boy.'"
Sakai says that Tomo (Emma Miyazawa) is "more reliable than me (Naka) and a reliable person who brings the family together," and that Asahi (Anna Kurasawa) is "a laid-back and adorable child who perfectly fits the description of a 'youngest child.'"
"Both Taiga and Ikematsu said that the family scenes were soothing, which is why we can really understand how difficult the outdoor battle scenes were, and how tough it must have been to survive in that era."
Once again, Nakano, who plays Koichiro, and Ikematsu, who plays Tokichiro, are impressed by the brotherly relationship, saying, "The back-and-forth acting between them is a lot of fun."
"The two of them get along really well, and are like real brothers. While Ikematsu-kun is the one who leads, he also has a slightly mischievous side, and he says funny things in a quiet tone or makes sharp remarks (laughs). I get the impression that Taiga-kun really follows Ikematsu-kun like a younger brother. Even when we're acting, the two of them have thorough discussions, such as 'Let's do this here', and he leads the set to make good scenes. I feel that the two of them really embody the 'Toyotomi Brothers!' This is my third time acting with Taiga-kun, and whether we're acting on screen or in person, you can feel his 'warmth' in his acting. It's a lot of fun going back and forth between us acting."
