NHK's historical drama "BROTHERS IN ARMS （Toyotomi Brothers!）", starring actor Taiga Nakano (NHK General, Sundays at 8 PM, etc.), featured Jun Kaname's first appearance as Akechi Mitsuhide in its 10th episode, "Nobunaga's Entry into Kyoto," which aired on March 15th. Mitsuhide is a treacherous minister who, in the Honnoji Incident—considered one of the greatest mysteries in Japanese history—forced his lord, Oda Nobunaga, to commit suicide, dramatically altering the course of history. Here, we'd like to introduce the actors who have played Mitsuhide in historical dramas throughout history.
◇From Kei Sato in "Taikoki" to Yoshi Sakou in "What to Do About Ieyasu": "17 Mitsuhide"
The Taiga drama series, which began in 1963, has a history of over 60 years. Up to "What Will Ieyasu Do?", the predecessor to "BROTHERS IN ARMS （Toyotomi Brothers!）", 18 series have depicted the Honnoji Incident, either directly or indirectly.
Listed in order from oldest to newest broadcast year, they are: "Taikoki" (1965), "Kunitori Monogatari" (1973), "Ogon no Hibi" (1978), "Onna Taikoki" (1981), "Tokugawa Ieyasu" (1983), "Kasuga no Tsubone" (1989), "Nobunaga KING OF ZIPANGU" (1992), "Ryukyu no Kaze" (1993), "Hideyoshi" (1996), "Toshiie to Matsu ~Kaga Hyakumangoku Monogatari~" (2002), "Komyo ga Tsuji" (2006), "Tenchijin" (2009), "Go ~Hime-tachi no Sengoku~" (2011), "Gunshi Kanbei" (2014), "Sanada Maru" (2016), and "Naotora: The Lady Warlord" (2017), "Kirin ga Kuru" (2020), and now "Dousuru Ieyasu" (What to do about Ieyasu).
Of these, Mitsuhide appears in 17 works, with the exception of "Ryukyu no Kaze" (Wind of Ryukyu). In "Taikoki," Kei Sato; in "Kunitori Monogatari," Masaomi Kondo; in "Ogon no Hibi," Taketoshi Naito; in "Onna Taikoki," Akira Ishihama; in "Tokugawa Ieyasu," Minori Terada; in "Kasuga no Tsubone," Hiroshi Itsuki; in "Nobunaga: King of Zipangu," Michael Tomioka; in "Hideyoshi," Hiroaki Murakami; in "Toshiie to Matsu," Kenichi Hagiwara; in "Komyo ga Tsuji," Mitsugoro Bandō; in "Tenchijin," Shingo Tsurumi; in "Go," Masachika Ichimura; in "Gunshi Kanbei," Koasa Shunputei; in "Sanada Maru," Naofumi Iwashita; in "Naotora: The Lady Warlord,"Ken Mitsuishi; in "Kirin ga Kuru," Hiroki Hasegawa; and in "Dōsuru Ieyasu,"Yoshi Sakou have all etched their names in the history of Taiga dramas as "Mitsuhide actors." The group includes Kabuki actors, veteran enka singers, rakugo storytellers, and writers, making for a remarkably diverse lineup.
"Kirin ga Kuru" is known as the first historical drama to feature Mitsuhide as the protagonist. Mitsuhide's upright character and strong sense of justice made him popular, and the "Honnoji Incident" was positioned as the "end of a strange friendship story" between Mitsuhide and Nobunaga (played by Shota Sometani).
◇Is Jun Kaname's "Mitsuhide" a cunning and intelligent retainer?
In historical dramas, which are not solely aimed at faithfully reproducing historical facts, one of the pleasures of watching the drama is seeing how Mitsuhide's process and motivations leading up to the Honnoji Incident are portrayed. In that sense, Jun Kaname's portrayal of Mitsuhide in "BROTHERS IN ARMS （Toyotomi Brothers!）", the "18th Mitsuhide," seemed to exude enough presence from his very first appearance to raise expectations.
When he met Nobunaga (Shun Oguri) seeking permission to enter Kyoto, he showed no hesitation, instead engaging in a game of probing each other's intentions with clear words and actions. While acknowledging Nobunaga's power, he also conveyed a thoughtfulness that prevented him from easily revealing any weaknesses. Meanwhile, the same episode strongly emphasized the master-servant relationship between him and Ashikaga Yoshiaki (Ukon Onoe), who was appointed the 15th Shogun by the Imperial Court. In conjunction with the wisdom displayed by Yoshiaki, viewers were already speculating about the motives and masterminds behind the Honnoji Incident.
In any case, it can be said with certainty that this character is completely different from Yoshi Sakou's portrayal of Mitsuhide in the previous Sengoku Taiga drama, "What to Do, Ieyasu," which had a sinister and petty feel to it. When the casting was announced, Kaname himself commented, "Mitsuhide is sensitive and sharp-witted, and I get the impression that he is more of a brainsman than a warrior among the treacherous retainers," and we are sure to see his sharp-witted actions at key moments, from the Honnoji Incident to the Battle of Yamazaki.
