Minami Hamabe will play Nene in the 2026 NHK Taiga drama "Toyotomi Brothers!" (General TV, Sunday 8:00 PM and other channels), starring actor Taiga Nakano. Nene will be the wife of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the "great ruler of Japan." Hamabe revealed, "Many people have played Nene in the past, but I am trying to play Nene in 'Toyotomi Brothers!' in my own way." Hamabe spoke about her role and her husband, Tōkichirō (later Hideyoshi, played by Sosuke Ikematsu).
"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.
The script is written by Hiroyuki Yatsu, known for "Naoki Hanzawa" (TBS) and the Asadora"Ochoyan." The music is by Hideaki Kimura, and the narrator is Sakura Ando, an actor.
Nene "climbed the ladder to becoming the most powerful person in Japan together with her husband, Hideyoshi." After Hideyoshi became the regent, she was called Kita no Mandokoro. With a competitive personality, she raced up the ladder of success together with her husband, Hideyoshi. Eventually, she went from being the daughter of a commoner to becoming the "First Lady of the Warring States Period."
Hamabe says, "Nene in this film is a very strong-willed woman. Her inner strength, which comes from her unyielding spirit, is what makes her so appealing, so I keep that in mind when I'm playing the role."
"However, within that strength lies a childish side. Nene is usually quite aloof, but I think it's adorable when she occasionally lets her guard down (laughs). I'm also looking forward to seeing the changes in the people around Nene. The sets and costumes will surely become more and more luxurious, and I think she will be at the mercy of her husband, Tōkichirō, as he pushes forward on the path to unifying the country. It's still unknown how Nene will feel in the midst of all this, so I'm really looking forward to it."
Hamabe also revealed, "As I was acting alongside him, I felt that Tokichiro had infinite possibilities."
"I'm excited by the way she tackles everything so boldly, and she has the power to make people feel that she will accomplish something. Nene is intelligent and proactive, but I feel that Tokichiro is many times more arrogant than she is. Also, Ikematsu, who plays the role, is very cheerful. Even when I make a small mistake in the play, he doesn't let the bad flow drag on, but instead breaks it, which is a great help."
We also asked about his impression of Nakano, who plays Koichirou (later known as Hidenaga), Fujiyoshiro's younger brother and the drama's protagonist.
"Taiga-san communicates with many people and always keeps morale up on set. It's a long shoot, but he never loses focus and takes on his role seriously. I'm happy to be involved in a production starring such a wonderful person. Koichiro is a strategist, so it's a tough role that requires both mental and physical strength in the battle scenes, but seeing him always smiling on set makes me want to do my best too."
Regarding the drama, his impression is that "first of all, the script is very easy to read."
"The tempo of the conversations between Koichiro and Tokichiro was fun, and I was excited just reading it. I think that even people who aren't good at history will be hooked on 'Toyotomi Brothers!' And of course, it's about 'family love.' Even when Nene is feeling lonely, her family is by her side. There's a sense that people live by supporting each other more than in modern times. It's a work that makes you think, 'Family is a great thing.'"
