Actor Jun Kaname is currently playing Akechi Mitsuhide in the historical drama "BROTHERS IN ARMS （Toyotomi Brothers!）" (NHK General, Sundays at 8 PM, etc.). How is he portraying Mitsuhide, who later betrayed his lord Oda Nobunaga and caused one of the greatest mysteries in Japanese history, the Honnoji Incident? We also asked him about filming with Shun Oguri, who plays Nobunaga.
◇First, I asked, "Who will be playing the role of Oda Nobunaga?"
"BROTHERS IN ARMS （Toyotomi Brothers!）" is the 65th Taiga drama, starring Taiga Nakano. It is a success story of dreams and hope, depicting the miracle of the Toyotomi brothers, Toyotomi Hidenaga (Koichiro) and his older brother Hideyoshi (Tokichiro), who achieve the great feat of unifying Japan through their strong bond.
In this work, Akechi Mitsuhide appears as a close confidant of Ashikaga Yoshiaki (played by Onoe Ukon). In order to fulfill Yoshiaki's long-cherished wish of restoring the Muromachi Shogunate, he seeks the cooperation of Oda Nobunaga (played by Oguri), and afterwards works as a retainer of Nobunaga, eventually rising to the position of a senior vassal.
Speaking of Akechi Mitsuhide, the 59th NHK Taiga drama, "Kirin ga Kuru" (2020-2021), which featured Mitsuhide as the protagonist, is still fresh in our memories. Kaname said he was surprised to receive the offer.
"This time, Toyotomi Hidenaga is the main character, so I thought that Mitsuhide might not be portrayed that much, and I also had a strong impression of him from 'Kirin ga Kuru'. But when I heard that he would be portrayed thoroughly, I wondered if I was the right person for the role, but since I was asked, I gladly accepted. However, the first thing I did ask was, 'Who will be playing Oda Nobunaga?' I wanted to be prepared (laughs)."
In this work, Mitsuhide is portrayed as someone who deeply respects Yoshiaki. It was Yoshiaki's orders that he began working as Nobunaga's retainer.
"I don't think he's an easy character to understand. The more he searches for his place in the world, the more lost he becomes. But he's portrayed as someone who lives while thinking of the Shogun (Yoshiaki), so I'm making sure to keep that in mind when I play him. He's part of the Oda group, but he comes across as someone who's a bit of an outsider."
◇ "I can't become friends with Shun Oguri until Honnoji is over."
This project marks my first full-fledged collaboration with Mr. Oguri, who plays Nobunaga.
"We both appeared in the movie 'Kingdom,' but we never met on set. In the story, we were on opposite sides of a vast battlefield (on opposing sides), but our filming was on different days (laughs). When I found out that we would be working together this time, I was overjoyed because he is one of my favorite actors, and I was finally able to act alongside him."
When asked about his impression of Oguri, he described him as "someone who uses a lot of techniques."
"I believe this is Mr. Oguri's second time playing Nobunaga, and when I stand before him, I feel that he truly understands Nobunaga. When we engage in an acting battle as actors, I think, 'Ah, he really has thought about this very deeply.'"
In this film, there are scenes where Mitsuhide is treated harshly by Nobunaga, such as being kicked. "My hatred is building up more and more, because I'm being stepped on and kicked," he laughs. Perhaps because of the nature of the role, he says he is consciously keeping his distance from Oguri.
"I think we're keeping our distance from each other. We're trying not to get too close. We definitely don't want things to get too casual. I think that kind of atmosphere will show up in the work when it matters most. I don't want to let my expression become even a little bit relaxed. I think Oguri-kun senses that too."
At the time of the interview, filming for the "Honnoji Incident" episode had not yet begun, but he revealed the tension he felt as an actor, saying, "I think we're both constantly thinking about Honnoji. We can't really become friends until the Honnoji scenes are over (laughs). We're probably both thinking, 'How are you going to get here?!'"
