A Hot Topic in the NHK Taiga Drama! 'Hidenaga to Rikyu', a Newly Written Historical Novel by Up-and-Coming Historical Author Shun Hayami, Released Today, Wednesday, April 22!

Shinchosha Co., Ltd. will release a newly written historical novel 'Hidenaga to Rikyu' by Shun Hayami from Shincho Bunko today, Wednesday, April 22, 2026.

It is the definitive historical novel of the 'Toyotomi Brothers', depicting Hidenaga, Hideyoshi, and Sen no Rikyu, who are hot topics in the NHK Taiga Drama.

"I will support my brother's conquest of the country." Toyotomi Hidenaga, Hideyoshi's best buddy and younger brother bound by strong ties.

"The Toyotomi brothers are a good buy. The two will bring great profit." Sen no Rikyu, the shadow fixer of the Toyotomi brothers.

Without these two, Hideyoshi's unification of the country would not have happened!

Invited by his older brother Hideyoshi, who serves Oda Nobunaga, Hidenaga experiences the construction of Sunomata One-Night Castle and decides to become a samurai from a farmer like his brother, serving Nobunaga alongside him. An immediate trial awaits Hidenaga, who has become a samurai. While other warlords shy away, Hidenaga is ordered by Nobunaga to collect a massive war fund tax of 20,000 kan from the free city of Sakai, which bows to no one's authority, due to Hideyoshi's casual over-promising. The negotiations prove extremely difficult, but with the help of Sen no Rikyu, a wealthy merchant of Sakai and one of the country's leading tea masters, he successfully solves the daunting task. From then on, Sen no Rikyu, seeing potential in the brothers' future, aids them both openly and covertly. And Sen no Rikyu is even involved in the Honno-ji Incident, the greatest mystery of the Sengoku period...

The Toyotomi brothers push forward toward the country's unification in the chaotic Sengoku period of gekokujo (the lower overcoming the higher), trusting each other while sometimes clashing and worrying through events like the Asakura campaign, the Great Chugoku Retreat, conflicts with Tokugawa Ieyasu, and the dispatch of troops to Korea. And the fixer, Sen no Rikyu, believes in the potential of the Toyotomi brothers and supports them both openly and covertly.

Featuring an all-star cast of Sengoku warlords including Oda Nobunaga, Akechi Mitsuhide, Tokugawa Ieyasu, Shibata Katsuie, Maeda Toshiie, and Takenaka Hanbei, this is the definitive newly written historical novel of the 'Toyotomi Brothers'.

Book Content Introduction Invited by his older brother Hideyoshi, who serves Nobunaga, Hidenaga goes from farmer to samurai. Ordered by Nobunaga to collect war taxes from Sakai, the two successfully solve the daunting task with the help of Sen no Rikyu, a wealthy merchant of Sakai and one of the country's top tea masters who saw potential in the brothers' future. Through the Asakura campaign and the Great Chugoku Retreat, the Toyotomi brothers trust each other despite sometimes conflicting and clashing, leading the turbulent Sengoku period toward national unification. This newly written historical novel depicts the brothers and Sen no Rikyu, who aids them as a shadow fixer.

Author Profile Shun Hayami Born in 1961 in Gifu City, Gifu Prefecture. He wrote while working as a company employee but devoted himself full-time to writing in 2007. His main works include historical novels such as 'Wandering Daimyo Mizuno Katsunari', 'The Two Hondas', 'Takatora and Tenkai', 'Tanuma and Tsutaju', and 'Hidenaga to Rikyu', as well as series like 'Napping Constable Kage Goyo', 'Court Noble Constable Asuka Narihira', 'Twin Constables Detective Competition', 'Bird Watcher Kyoshiro Secret Duty', 'Physiognomy Constable Hayase Kikunojo', 'Tsubaki Heikuro Caretaker Secret Record', 'Go-Getter Samurai Suzunoshin Struggle Sword', 'Great Edo Unrivaled Seven', and 'Great Edo Humanity Diagnosis Book'.

Book Data [Title] Hidenaga to Rikyu [Author] Shun Hayami [Release Date] April 22, 2026 [Format] Bunko edition [Price] 880 yen (tax included) [ISBN] 978-4-10-138986-8 [URL] https://www.shinchosha.co.jp/book/138986/