Brothers in Arms (TV series)

Brothers in Arms
Written byHiroyuki Yatsu
Directed byYoshio Watanabe and others
Starring
Narrated bySakura Ando
ComposerHideakira Kimura
Country of originJapan
Original languageJapanese
No. of episodes10
Production
Running time45 minutes
Production companyNHK
Original release
NetworkNHK General TV
ReleaseJanuary 4, 2026 (2026-01-04)

Brothers in Arms (豊臣兄弟!, Toyotomi Kyōdai!)[1]is a Japanese historical drama television series starring Taiga Nakano as Toyotomi Hidenaga. The series is the 65th NHK taiga drama.[2][3]

Plot

Born into a poor farming family, Koichiro (later Toyotomi Hidenaga) spent peaceful days tilling the fields with his family. However, one day, his long-missing elder brother, Tokichiro (later Toyotomi Hideyoshi), returned. Tokichiro had become a samurai serving Oda Nobunaga and asked Koichiro to work as his assistant. Koichiro hesitated briefly, but ultimately accepted. This is where the grand success story of the two brothers, bound by a strong bond, truly begins.

Cast

Starring role

His family

  • Sosuke Ikematsu as Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Hidenaga's brother
    • Yura Kimura as young Hideyoshi
  • Riho Yoshioka as Chika, Hidenaga's wife
  • Minami Hamabe as Nene, Hideyoshi's wife
  • Maki Sakai as Naka, Hidenaga and Hideyoshi's mother
  • Kensaku Kobayashi as Yaemon, Hidenaga and Hideyoshi's father[a]
  • Emma Miyazawa as Tomo, Hidenaga and Hideyoshi's sister
  • Shusaku Kamikawa as Yasuke (Miyoshi Yoshifusa), Tomo's husband
  • Anna Kurasawa as Asahi, Hidenaga and Hideyoshi's sister
  • Mizuki Maehara as Jinsuke (Soeda Yoshinari), Asahi's husband
  • Ichirōta Miyagawa as Asano Nagakatsu, Nene's father
  • Yoko Moriguchi as Fuku, Nene's mother
  • Coco Masui as Yaya, Nene's sister
  • Nobunaga Daichi as Asano Nagayoshi, a.k.a. Asano Nagamasa. Yaya's husband.
  • Nagi Inoue as Chacha, Hideyoshi's concubine

Hideyoshi's vassals

The people of Nakamura village

  • Sei Shiraishi[b] as Nao, Hidenaga's first love
    • Rana Izutani as young Nao
  • Koji Okura as Sakai Kizaemon, Nao's father
  • Yōji Tanaka as Ryoun, a monk
  • Jiei Wakabayashi as Shinkichi
  • Yuki Takao as Genta

Oda clan

Tokugawa clan

Azai clan

Saito clan

Ashikaga shogunate

Others

TV schedule

Episode Title Directed by Original airdate Rating
1 "Nihiki no Saru" (二匹の猿) Yoshio Watanabe January 4, 2026 (2026-01-04) 13.5%
2 "Negai no Kane" (願いの鐘) January 11, 2026 (2026-01-11) 12.2%
3 "Kessen Zen'ya" (決戦前夜) January 18, 2026 (2026-01-18) 12.9%
4 "Okehazama!" (桶狭間!) Tetsuya Watanabe January 25, 2026 (2026-01-25) 13.1%
5 "Uso kara deta Makoto" (噓から出た実) Tadashi Tanaka February 1, 2026 (2026-02-01) 12.5%
6 "Kyodai no Kizuna" (兄弟の絆) February 15, 2026 (2026-02-15) 11.8%
7 "Kesshi no Chikujo Sakusen" (決死の築城作戦) Yoshio Watanabe February 22, 2026 (2026-02-22) 10.9%
8 "Sunomata Ichiya-jo" (墨俣一夜城) March 1, 2026 (2026-03-01) 12.1%
9 "Takenaka Hanbei to iu Otoko" (竹中半兵衛という男) Tetsuya Watanabe March 8, 2026 (2026-03-08) 10.4%
10 "Nobunaga Joraku" (信長上洛) March 15, 2026 (2026-03-15) 12.1%
11 "Honkoku-ji no Hen" (本圀寺の変) March 22, 2026 (2026-03-22)
12 "Odani-jo no Saikai" (小谷城の再会) March 29, 2026 (2026-03-29)

Notes

  1. ^ Although Hideyoshi and Hidenaga were long believed to be half-brothers, recent research suggests that both were children of Yaemon and Naka. This drama adopts the latter theory.
  2. ^ The role was initially announced to be played by Mei Nagano, but she withdrew from the part just before the start of filming after reports about her in Shūkan Bunshun. NHK urgently sought a replacement actress, and Sei Shiraishi was chosen.[4]

References

  1. ^ "Brothers in Arms". NHK Enterprises. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  2. ^ "来年大河『豊臣兄弟!』第3次キャスト7人発表 小栗旬、宮崎あおいら"主演級"ズラリ". Oricon (in Japanese). 3 February 2025. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  3. ^ "豊臣兄弟!". The Television (in Japanese). Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  4. ^ "大河ドラマ『豊臣兄弟!』出演辞退の永野芽郁の代役に白石聖 NHKが正式発表". Oricon (in Japanese). 22 May 2025. Retrieved 4 January 2026.