Shun Oguri will play Oda Nobunaga in the 2026 NHK Taiga drama "Toyotomi Brothers!" (General TV, Sunday 8pm and other times), starring actor Nakano Taiga. Oguri, who starred in "The 13 Lords of the Shogun" (2022), also exudes an outstanding presence in the 10th NHK Taiga drama "Toyotomi Brothers!" as Nobunaga, the "lonely charismatic man aiming to unify the country." He revealed his role and the words he spoke to Nakano.
"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 first time Oguri saw Nobunaga played was by Watari Tetsuya in the 1996 taiga drama "Hideyoshi."
Oguri, who plays Mitsunari as a boy in the film, said of Nobunaga played by Watari, "He was very scary, and that image has remained very strong in my memory," and added, "This time, I'm trying not to solidify the character in any concrete way, but to play Nobunaga as he is portrayed in the script."
"Nobunaga in 'Toyotomi Brothers!' is a man with very rational and progressive ideas. However, his ideas are not easily understood by those around him, and deep down he harbors a sadness that 'no one understands me.' On top of that, he binds himself with the idea that 'I have to be like this as Nobunaga,' so I feel that there are many moments when he behaves in a way that is different from his true self. I too have gained experience and try to act properly in front of my juniors on the set, but there are still gaps between that and my true self. That's an area where I sympathize with Nobunaga."
What is your impression of the brothers Koichirō (Toyotomi Hidenaga, played by Nakano) and Tōkichirō (Toyotomi Hideyoshi, played by Ikematsu Sosuke)?
"Taiga, the star, plays Nakano Hidenaga, who continues to search for ways to create a world that everyone can agree on, while Ikematsu plays Ikematsu Hideyoshi, who strives to get ahead while leading his younger brother Koichiro. Both are convincingly portrayed. I think Koichiro has the qualities of a leader we need in today's world."
Oguri also revealed, "From the beginning of filming, I could clearly see that Taiga was eager to take on the responsibility of the set, so I told him, 'Since the filming will be long-term, I don't think you need to carry so much on your own.'"
"I think Ikematsu's presence is also very encouraging for Taiga. The two of them have a good balance in their roles, so I hope they will continue to demonstrate their abilities and lead the others. In the fourth episode (broadcast on January 25th), there was a scene where Nobunaga told Koichiro, 'Serve by my side as my attendant,' and I was really moved and touched by Taiga's acting at that time. I think it was also a moment that inspired all of the Oda clan vassals who were there."
Regarding upcoming highlights, he said, "There will be a scene with Takenaka Naoto, who plays Matsunaga Hisahide."
"It was the first time I'd acted face-to-face in about 30 years, since the historical drama 'Hideyoshi.' When we were setting up the schedule on the set, my feelings as Shun Oguri came out before my feelings as Nobunaga. It was a very moving experience to be able to act together with Takenaka-san, who was Hideyoshi at the time."
