NHK’s ‘Toyotomi Brothers’ dramatizes the Honno‑ji Incident amid new historical claim on Hideyoshi’s role

The 27th episode of NHK’s historical drama ‘Toyotomi Brothers!’ aired on July 12, portraying the Honno‑ji Incident. Lead actor Kurosawa Shun (playing Oda Nobunaga) highlighted that his line “Omae ja nai” (“It’s not you”) was an ad‑lib not in the script, and described the intense experience of filming amid real fire used for the scene. The episode also introduces the character Shinjun (played by Oogata Atsushi) as a possible mastermind, sparking discussion among viewers about a “Shinjun black‑mail” theory.

Separately, historians have uncovered a newly identified letter by Toyotomi Hideyoshi that suggests he arrived late to the battle of Yamazaki on June 13, 1582. The document implies that Ikeda Kōei, who commanded the largest force among Hideyoshi’s allies, may have been the principal victor over Akechi Mitsuhide’s troops, challenging the traditional view that Hideyoshi alone secured the win.