NHK's program "Heroes' Choices," which spotlights heroes who made decisions that dramatically changed history, will air "The Sengoku Period: A Fixer's Story - Imai Sokyu, the Wealthy Merchant of Sakai" on NHK BS at 9 PM on April 20th. The program will feature Imai Sokyu, a wealthy merchant from Sakai who sensed Oda Nobunaga's potential to become the ruler of Japan and supplied him with firearms and gunpowder, supporting his unparalleled military power. The program will delve into the true nature of this shadowy fixer who influenced the turbulent Sengoku period through economic means.
During the Sengoku period, in Sakai, a city that prospered through trade, Imai Sokyu rose from humble beginnings to make a name for himself. The turning point was his approach to Oda Nobunaga, who visited Kyoto in 1568. By monopolizing gunpowder and lead, which at the time could only be imported, and supplying them exclusively to Nobunaga, he provided the military power that enabled him to conquer Japan.
The story follows Imai Sōkyū, a fixer of the Sengoku period, who taught Nobunaga the tea ceremony and bestowed upon him the authority befitting a ruler of Japan. However, just as Nobunaga was on the verge of unifying the country, he rebelled and fell, forcing Imai Sōkyū to make a difficult choice...
