Seven new cast members were announced on April 22nd for the NHK Taiga drama "BROTHERS IN ARMS （Toyotomi Brothers!）" (NHK General, Sundays at 8 PM, etc.), starring actor Taiga Nakano. Among them were Eiji Okuda and Yumi Aso.
Okuda will play Horiike Yorimasa, the father of Kei's (Riho Yoshioka) deceased husband, and Aso will play Horiike Kinu, Yorimasa's wife.
Furthermore, it was revealed that Mio Tanaka will play Yoshichika Bessho, Shugo Oshinari will play Shigemune Bessho, Shogo Hama Yamaya will play Dashi, a beauty known as the "modern Yang Guifei," Shogo Hama will play Terumoto Mori, and Danshun Tachikawa will play Ekei Ankokuji.
"BROTHERS IN ARMS （Toyotomi Brothers!）" is the 65th Taiga drama. With Toyotomi Hidenaga (Koichiro) as the protagonist, it depicts the miraculous feat of unifying Japan together with his older brother Hideyoshi (Tokichiro) through their strong bond, a success story of dreams and hopes.
The roles of the seven new cast members are as follows:
◇Yorimasa Horiike (played by Eiji Okuda)
Kei's late husband's father served the Saito family of Mino Province. When Kei's father, Ando Morinari, defected to the Oda side, the Saito clan was defeated, and the Horiike family also fell into ruin. He now makes a living as a farmer.
◇Kinu Horiike (played by Yumi Aso)
Yorimasa's wife. Following the downfall of the Horiike family, she and her husband moved to Hokyuji Village, on the border of Omi and Mino provinces, to live an unfamiliar life as farmers.
◇Bessho Kasou (Mio Tanaka)
The Bessho family, a powerful local lord in Harima Province, finds itself caught between the Mori and Oda clans. Along with his younger brother Shigemune, he becomes the guardian of the young head of the family, Nagaharu. Nagaharu follows Hideyoshi, who has come to pacify Harima, but Kaga is not convinced...
◇Shigemune Bessho (played by Shugo Oshinari)
He was a member of the Bessho family, a local lord family in Harima Province. He and his older brother, Yoshiaki, served as guardians for their nephew, Nagaharu. Believing that the Bessho family should side with the Oda clan, he urged Nagaharu to show his allegiance to the Oda.
◇Dashi (Kasumi Yamaya)
She was the wife of Araki Murashige, the lord of Arioka Castle in Settsu Province, who was entrusted by Nobunaga with the pacification of Harima Province. A beauty known as the "modern Yang Guifei," she was also Murashige's greatest supporter.
◇Mori Terumoto (Shogo Hama)
He is the head of the Mori clan, a Sengoku period daimyo family of Aki Province (present-day Hiroshima Prefecture), and the grandson of Mori Motonari. He opposes Nobunaga, who has invaded western Japan. He prioritizes the security of his territory above all else.
◇ Ankokuji Ekei (played by Tachikawa Danshun)
A "diplomatic monk" who served a warlord and was involved in peace negotiations. As an envoy of Mori Terumoto, he acted behind the scenes, bridging the gap between the Oda clan, who were invading western Japan.
