''Kōmyō ga Tsuji'' (功名が辻) is a 2006 Japanese historical television series, and the 45th

NHK , also known by its Romanization of Japanese, romanized initialism NHK, is a Japanese public broadcasting, public broadcaster. It is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television licence, television license fee. NHK ope ...

''taiga'' drama. It is written by Shizuka Ōishi, based on the 1965 novel of the same name by

Ryōtarō Shiba , also known as , was a Japanese author. He is best known for his novels about historical events in Japan and on the Northeast Asian sub-continent, as well as his historical and cultural essays pertaining to Japan and its relationship to the r ...

. The series chronicles the lives of Chiyo and Yamauchi Kazutoyo, a couple who lived during the

Sengoku period The was the period in History of Japan, Japanese history in which civil wars and social upheavals took place almost continuously in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Kyōtoku incident (1454), Ōnin War (1467), or (1493) are generally chosen as th ...

of Japan.

Cast

Chiyo and Kazutoyo

Yukie Nakama is a Japanese actress, singer and former idol. Biography She was born in Urasoe, Okinawa, Japan, into a fisherman's family, the youngest of five siblings. At the start of her career she was a gravure idol and singer (her debut single "Moonli ...

as Chiyo, wife of Kazutoyo ** Anzu Nagai as young Chiyo * Takaya Kamikawa as Yamauchi Kazutoyo, samurai and later Lord of Tosa **Shingo Michinaka as young Kazutoyo

Their family

* Yoshiko Sakuma as Hōshūin *

Hiroshi Tamaki is a Japanese actor and singer from Nagoya, Japan. When he was still in high school, he was discovered by a talent agent while out shopping with friends. He made his debut in the drama ''Am I Weird?'' (私ってへん？ ''Watashitte Hen?'') in ...

as Yamauchi Yasutoyo *

Masahiko Tsugawa , born Masahiko Katō (加藤雅彦 ''Katō Masahiko''; January 2, 1940 – August 4, 2018) was a Japanese actor and director. Career Tsugawa was born January 2, 1940, in Kyoto, Japan. After acting as a child, he made his major debut at 16 in t ...

as Fuwa Ichinojō *

Yumi Takigawa is a Japanese actress and singer. She has appeared in more than 50 films since 1974. Selected filmography Film Television Awards References External links * {{DEFAULTSORT:Takigawa, Yumi 1951 births Living people Singers from Tok ...

as Kinu *Shin Takuma as Wakamiya Kisuke * Tae Kimura as Tomo *Ei Morisako as Yone *

Haruma Miura was a Japanese actor and singer. He made his acting debut in the television drama ''Agri'' (1997) and rose to popularity after starring in the film ''Koizora'' (2007), winning Newcomer of the Year at the 31st Japan Academy Prize. In the follo ...

as Shōnan

Goto and Sofue clan

Tetsuya Takeda Tetsuya Takeda (), born April 11, 1949, is a Japanese folk singer and actor. Takeda is perhaps most known in Japan for his starring role in the Tokyo Broadcasting System's (TBS) long-running, highly rated television drama '' Sannen B Gumi Kinpa ...

as Goto Kichibei * Gin Maeda as Sofue Shinemon *Mami Kumagai as Fune *Manabu Hamada as Sofue Shin'ichirō * Shinnosuke Furumoto as Sofue Tokushinsai

Horio clan

* Katsuhisa Namase as Horio Yoshiharu * Junko Mihara as Ito *Atsuo Ōuchi as Horio Tadauji

Nakamura clan

* Atsushi Tamura as Nakamura Kazuuji *Otoha as Toshi *Momoki Yamada as Yokota Naizen

Oda clan

* Hiroshi Tachi as

Oda Nobunaga was a Japanese ''daimyō'' and one of the leading figures of the Sengoku period, Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods. He was the and regarded as the first "Great Unifier" of Japan. He is sometimes referred as the "Demon Daimyō" and "Demo ...

* Mao Daichi as

Oichi was a female historical figure in the late Sengoku period. She is known primarily as the mother of three daughters who became prominent figures in their own right – Yodo-dono, Ohatsu

* Emi Wakui as

Nōhime , also known as was a Japanese woman from the Sengoku period to the Azuchi–Momoyama period. She was the daughter of Saitō Dōsan, a Sengoku Daimyō of the Mino Province, and the lawful wife of Oda Nobunaga, a Sengoku Daimyō of the Owari Prov ...

*Seiji Iinuma as Oda Nobutaka *Kunihiko Ōchiba as Oda Nobukatsu *Yūki Fujita as Sanbōshi *

Bandō Mitsugorō X Bandō Mitsugorō X () (January 23, 1956 – February 2, 2015) was a Japanese television presenter and kabuki actor. He was the grandson of Bandō Mitsugorō VIII and son of Bandō Mitsugorō IX. Lineage Born into a renowned family of Kabuki ac ...

Akechi Mitsuhide , first called Jūbei from his clan and later from his title, was a Japanese ''samurai'' general of the Sengoku period. Mitsuhide was originally a bodyguard of the last Ashikaga shogunate, Ashikaga ''shōgun'' Ashikaga Yoshiaki and later, one of ...

* Hiroshi Katsuno as

Shibata Katsuie or was a Japanese samurai and military commander during the Sengoku period. He was retainer of Oda Nobuhide. He served Oda Nobunaga as one of his trusted generals, was severely wounded in the 1571 first siege of Nagashima, but then fought ...

*Tatsuo Nadaka as Niwa Nagahide *Shunsuke Kariya as Hayashi Michikatsu *Tōta Tawaragi as

Sakuma Nobumori was a Samurai retainer of Oda Nobuhide. He was treated as Oda Nobunaga's most important retainer and would come to fight in every important battle under Nobunaga's command such as the 1567 Siege of Inabayama Castle, the 1571 and 1573 Siege o ...

*Shinji Furukawa as

Takigawa Kazumasu or Takikawa Sakon was a Japanese samurai lord and daimyo of the Sengoku period. He was a retainer and military commander of Oda Nobunaga, and later Toyotomi Hideyoshi. His biological son, Toshimasu, was adopted by Maeda Toshihisa, the older b ...

*Dai Watanabe as

Mori Ranmaru , also known as Mori Naritoshi (森成利), was a samurai retainer to the Oda clan. He was son of Mori Yoshinari, and had 5 brothers in total, from the province of Mino Province, Mino. He was a member of the Mori clan (Genji), Mori Clan, descen ...

Toyotomi clan

Akira Emoto is a Japanese actor. Career In 1999, he won the Japanese Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in '' Dr. Akagi''. He also won the award for best supporting actor at the 7th Hochi Film Award for '' Dotonbori River'' and '' Hearts an ...

Toyotomi Hideyoshi , otherwise known as and , was a Japanese samurai and ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) of the late Sengoku period, Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods and regarded as the second "Great Unifier" of Japan.Richard Holmes, The World Atlas of Warfare: ...

Yūko Asano is a Japanese actress and singer. She won the award for best actress at the 19th Japan Academy Prize for '' Kura''. Her biggest hit was "Sexy Bus Stop" released in 1976. It reached the No. 12 position on the Oricon chart list. Filmography Fi ...

as Nene * Hiromi Nagasaku as

Chacha Cha-Cha, Cha Cha, ChaCha or Chacha may refer to: Music *Cha-cha-cha (dance), a dance of Cuban origin *Cha-cha-cha (music), a genre of Cuban music *Cha Cha (album), ''Cha Cha'' (album), a 1978 album by Herman Brood & His Wild Romance *Cha Cha (sou ...

**Mao Noguchi as young Chacha * Hiroki Narimiya as

Toyotomi Hidetsugu was a during the Sengoku period of Japan. He was the nephew and retainer of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the unifier and ruler of Japan from 1590 to 1598. Despite being Hideyoshi's closest adult, male relative, Hidetsugu was accused of atrocities and at ...

**Reita Shibai as young Hidetsugu *

Kin Sugai (28 February 1926 – 10 August 2018) was a Japanese actress. She won the award for best supporting actress at the 9th Hochi Film Award for '' The Funeral''. Sugai is famous for her role as Sen Nakamura in the jidaigeki drama Hissatsu series. S ...

as Naka * Akiko Matsumoto as

Asahi Asahi (Japanese 朝日, 旭, or あさひ 'morning sun') may refer to: Places in Japan Cities * Asahi, Chiba (旭市; ''Asahi-shi'') Wards * Asahi-ku, Osaka (旭区; ''Asahi-ku'') * Asahi-ku, Yokohama (旭; ''Asahi-ku'') Towns * Asahi, Aichi ...

* Goro Noguchi as Soeda Jinbei * Masahiro Kobayashi as Gensuke * Junichi Haruta as

Toyotomi Hidenaga , formerly known as or . He was a half-brother of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, one of the most powerful and significant warlords of Japan's Sengoku period and regarded as 'Hideyoshi's brain and right-arm'. Life Hidenaga was also known by his court tit ...

Hideo Ishiguro is a Japanese actor who is noted for his roles as Kai in the 2007 ''Kamen Rider Den-O'' and as Gai Kurenai in the 2016 ''Ultraman Orb''. Filmography Drama Series *2005: '' Brother Beat'' (TBS) *2005: '' Gokusen 2'' (TV Asahi) *2006: '' Princess ...

Toyotomi Hideyori was the son and designated successor of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the general who united all of Japan toward the end of the Sengoku period. His mother, Yodo-dono, was the niece of Oda Nobunaga. Early life Born in 1593, he was Hideyoshi's sec ...

*Nakamura Hashinosuke III as

Ishida Mitsunari was a Japanese samurai and military commander of the late Sengoku period of Japan. He is probably best remembered as the commander of the Western army in the Battle of Sekigahara following the Azuchi–Momoyama period of the 16th century. He ...

*Michitaka Tsutsui as Takenaka Hanbei *

Yoshihiro Takayama is a Japanese former professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. Debuting for UWF International (UWFI) in the 1990s, Takayama joined All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) in 1997 after UWF-i folded. In 2000, he joined Pro Wrestling Noah (Noah), an ...

as Hachisuka Koroku *Yōsuke Saitō as Kuroda Kanbei *Hideaki Tamiya as

Kuroda Nagamasa was a ''daimyō'' during the late Azuchi–Momoyama and early Edo periods. He was the son of Kuroda Kanbei, Toyotomi Hideyoshi's chief strategist and adviser. Biography Nagamasa's childhood name was Shojumaru (松寿丸). In 1577 his fathe ...

*Norihito Kaneko as

Katō Kiyomasa was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the Azuchi–Momoyama period, Azuchi–Momoyama and Edo periods. His court title was . His name as a child was ''Yashamaru'', and first name was ''Toranosuke''. He was one of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Hideyoshi's Seven ...

*Hironari Arashi as

Fukushima Masanori was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the late Sengoku period to early Edo period and served as the lord of the Hiroshima Domain. A retainer of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, he fought in the Battle of Shizugatake in 1583 and soon became known as one of the ...

Tokugawa clan

Toshiyuki Nishida was a Japanese actor. He won two Japanese Academy Awards for best actor, for '' The Silk Road'' (1988) and '' Tsuribaka Nisshi 6'' (1993). He also won the Blue Ribbon Award for Best Actor for '' Get Up!'' and '' Tsuribaka Nisshi 14'' (2003). O ...

Tokugawa Ieyasu Tokugawa Ieyasu (born Matsudaira Takechiyo; 31 January 1543 – 1 June 1616) was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, which ruled from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was the third of the three "Gr ...

* Nakamura Baijaku II as

Tokugawa Hidetada was the second ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa dynasty, who ruled from 1605 until his abdication in 1623. He was the third son of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Early life (1579–1593) Tokugawa Hidetada was born to Tokugawa Ieyasu and the Lady Saigō on May ...

*Ayami Tsuru as

Senhime , or Lady Sen, was the eldest daughter of the ''shōgun'' Tokugawa Hidetada and later the wife of Toyotomi Hideyori. She was remarried to Honda Tadatoki after the death of her first husband. Following the death of her second husband, she late ...

* Ken Tanaka as Honda Sakuzaemon *Eisuke Sasai as

Ii Naomasa was a general under the Sengoku period ''daimyō'', and later ''shōgun'', Tokugawa Ieyasu.Sakakibara Yasumasa was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the late Sengoku period through early Edo period, who served the Tokugawa clan. As one of the Tokugawa family's foremost military commanders, he was considered one of its Shitennō (Tokugawa clan), "Four Guardian ...

Nobuhiko Takada Nobuhiko Takada (, ring name: ) (born April 12, 1962) is a Japanese former mixed martial artist, retired professional wrestler, actor, and writer. He competed in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), Universal Wrestling Federation (UWF) and the Uni ...

Honda Tadakatsu , also called Honda Heihachirō (本多平八郎) was a Japanese samurai, general, and daimyo of the late Sengoku through early Edo periods, who served Tokugawa Ieyasu. Honda Tadakatsu was one of the Tokugawa Four Heavenly Kings (Shitennō) a ...

*Hiroshi Ōkōchi as

Ishikawa Kazumasa was a Japanese notable retainer under Tokugawa Ieyasu, who served him since childhood, when they were both hostages under the Imagawa in 1551. Biography Kazumasa, also accompanied Ieyasu in the Siege of Terabe 1558, and later at Siege of Maru ...

* Junpei Morita as

Sakai Tadatsugu was one of the most favored and most successful military commanders serving Tokugawa Ieyasu in the late Sengoku period. Serving as the highest-ranking general in the Tokugawa clan along with Ishikawa Kazumasa, Tadatsugu is also regarded as o ...

*Ryō Amamiya as

Honda Masazumi (1566 – April 5, 1637) was a Japanese samurai of the Azuchi–Momoyama period through early Edo period, who served the Tokugawa clan. He later became a ''daimyō'', and one of the first rōjū of the Tokugawa shogunate. Masazumi was born in 15 ...

*Susumu Nihashi as

Hattori Hanzō or ''Second Hanzō'', nicknamed , was a famous samurai of the Sengoku era, who served the Tokugawa clan as a general, credited with saving the life of Tokugawa Ieyasu and then helping him to become the ruler of united Japan. He is often a ...

Hosokawa clan

* Masaomi Kondō as Hosokawa Yūsai * Kyōko Hasegawa as Hosokawa Gracia * Manabu Ino as Hosokawa Tadaoki * Kyūsaku Shimada as Ogasawara Shōsai * Mariko Tsutsui as Kiyo

Azai clan

* Takaaki Enoki as

Azai Nagamasa was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the Sengoku period known as the brother-in-law and enemy of Oda Nobunaga. Nagamasa was head of the Azai clan seated at Odani Castle in northern Ōmi Province and married Nobunaga's sister Oichi in 1564, fathering ...

* Kei Yamamoto as Azai Hisamasa *Ayato Kosugi as Manpukumaru *Maiko Kikkawa as Hatsu **Rina Matsumoto as young Hatsu *Erika Niibo as Gō **Nichika Hara as young Gō

Saitō clan

*Kazuma Kudō as Saitō Tatsuoki *Tasuku Uno as

Andō Morinari , also known as was a Japanese samurai who lived during the Sengoku period. He served the Saitō clan of Mino Province. Later, he become a retainer of Oda Nobunaga. He served as a head retainer under Saitō Dōsan after Dōsan overthrew Toki ...

*Hideki Oshikiri as

Hineno Hironari was a Japanese samurai of the Sengoku period through Azuchi–Momoyama period, who served the Oda clan The is a Japanese samurai family who were daimyo and an important political force in the unification of Japan in the mid-16th century. ...

*Toshiya Tanaka as Ujiie Bokuzen *Takashi Kuramoto as Inaba Ittetsu

Mōri clan

* Masane Tsukayama as

Mōri Terumoto Mōri Terumoto (毛利輝元, January 22, 1553 – June 2, 1625) was a Japanese ''daimyō''. The son of Mōri Takamoto, and grandson and successor of the great warlord Mōri Motonari, he fought against Oda Nobunaga but was eventually overc ...

*Moro Moro'oka as Kikkawa Hiroie *Shōichirō Akaboshi as Ankokuji Ekei * Hiroyuki Kinoshita as Shimizu Muneharu

Ashikaga shogunate

Kōki Mitani is a Japanese playwright, screenwriter, actor and film director and was previously married to Japanese actress Satomi Kobayashi. He was named after ''Taihō Kōki'', the youngest Rikishi, sumo wrestler to become yokozuna. He studied dramatics ...

Ashikaga Yoshiaki "Ashikaga Yoshiaki" in '' The New Encyclopædia Britannica''. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 15th edn., 1992, Vol. 1, p. 625. was the 15th and final ''shōgun'' of the Ashikaga shogunate in Japan who reigned from 1568 to 1573 when he ...

*Yoshiyuki Yamaguchi as

Ashikaga Yoshiteru , also known as Yoshifushi or Yoshifuji, was the 13th ''shōgun'' of the Ashikaga shogunate who reigned from 1546 to 1565 during the late Muromachi period of Japan. He was the eldest son of the 12th ''shōgun'', Ashikaga Yoshiharu, and his moth ...

Others

Teruyuki Kagawa is a Japanese actor, kabuki actor (as ), and boxing commentator. Unlike most other Kabuki actors in his family (such as his father Ichikawa En'ō II and his cousin Ichikawa Ennosuke IV) who play both male and female roles, he is a ''tachiyaku' ...

as Rokuheita *

Masami Nagasawa is a Japanese actress. She has had a prolific film career since her teenage years and has starred in various blockbusters, receiving multiple #Awards and nominations, accolades, including five Japan Academy Film Prize, Japan Academy Film Prizes a ...

as Korin * Sayuri Ishikawa as Setsu * Tōru Emori as

Imagawa Yoshimoto was a Japanese ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) of the Sengoku period. Based in Suruga Province, he was known as ; he was one of the three ''daimyō'' that dominated the Tōkaidō region. He died in 1560 while marching to Kyoto to become Shogun. He ...

* Tokio Emoto as

Emperor Go-Yōzei was the 107th Emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Go-Yōzei's reign spanned the years 1586 through to his abdication in 1611, corresponding to the transition between the Azuchi–Momoyama period and the Edo period ...

*Tōru Shinagawa as

Matsunaga Hisahide Matsunaga Danjō Hisahide (松永弾正久秀 1508 – November 19, 1577) was a ''daimyō'' and head of the Yamato Matsunaga clan in Japan during the Sengoku period of the 16th century. He has historical reputation as one of , a nickna ...

*Hiroyuki Sakamoto as

Kobayakawa Hideaki (1577 – December 1, 1602) was the fifth son of Kinoshita Iesada and a nephew of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. He was gained the rank of ''Saemon no Kami'' (左衛門督) or in China ''Shikkingo'' (執金吾) at genpuku and held the court title of ...

* Hiroshi Iwasaki as Shimazu Yoshihiro * Ryō Tamura as Shimazu Toyohisa * Ken Yasuda as

Ukita Hideie was the ''daimyō'' of Bizen and Mimasaka Provinces (modern Okayama Prefecture), and one of the council of Five Elders appointed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Son of Ukita Naoie, he married Gōhime, a daughter of Maeda Toshiie. Having fought a ...

* Kenichi Yajima as

Naoe Kanetsugu was a Japanese samurai of the 16th–17th centuries. The eldest son of Higuchi Kanetoyo, Kanetsugu was famed for his service to two generations of the Uesugi ''daimyōs''. He was also known by his court title, Yamashiro no Kami (山城守) or ...

Toshiaki Karasawa (real name Kiyoshi Karasawa (唐澤潔 ''Karasawa Kiyoshi'')) is a Japanese theatre and film actor. He made his theatrical debut in the play ''Boy's Revue Stay Gold'' in 1987. He specializes in theatrical action sequences such as swordplay and f ...

Maeda Toshiie was one of the leading generals of Oda Nobunaga following the Sengoku period of the 16th century extending to the Azuchi–Momoyama period. His preferred weapon was a yari and he was known as "Yari no Mataza" (槍の又左), Matazaemon (又左 ...

Production

The 45th ''taiga'' drama was announced to be ''Kōmyō ga Tsuji'' on July 16, 2004, with

and Takaya Kamikawa starring in the lead roles of Chiyo and Yamauchi Kazutoyo respectively.

made a cameo appearance as Maeda Toshiie, a protagonist of the 2002 ''taiga'' drama. As the series was in the middle of its run with high ratings, chief producer Akimasa Oda remarked that the series' success is likely due to its lead couple's ordinariness and industrious attitude.

Home media

The first 27 episodes of ''Kōmyō ga Tsuji'' were released by NHK within one DVD box set on January 25, 2007. The remaining 22 episodes were released in a separate box set on March 21, 2007.

Soundtrack

*''NHK Taiga Drama "Kōmyō ga Tsuji" Original Soundtrack'' (Release date: May 10, 2006)

References

External links

NHK website
* {{Taiga drama Taiga drama 2006 Japanese television series debuts 2006 Japanese television series endings Cultural depictions of Akechi Mitsuhide Cultural depictions of Oda Nobunaga Cultural depictions of Tokugawa Ieyasu Cultural depictions of Toyotomi Hideyoshi Television shows based on Japanese novels Television series set in the 16th century Television series set in the 17th century