Revealing Takayuki Yamada’s Impact to NHK’s Historical Drama “What To Do About Ieyasu”

The NHK historical drama “Dousuru Ieyasu” starring Jun Matsumoto of Arashi fame. Among the “Ieyasu vassals” who are said to be the strongest, the Hattori party of ninja led by Hattori Hanzo (Yamada Takayuki) is particularly unique.

The drama is an entertainment of the tumultuous warring states period in which the naive and unreliable Tokugawa Ieyasu (Matsumoto), born in the small country of Mikawa, overcomes a life-or-death struggle and eventually establishes the Edo shogunate.

In the sixth episode, Ieyasu’s wife Sena (Kasumi Arimura) and her son are left behind in Sunpu, and Ieyasu infiltrates the impregnable Kaminogo Castle in order to retrieve them. In the shadows of the night, they climb a precipitous cliff with a small sword called “kunai,” and a female giant rat (Marika Matsumoto) disguised as a playful girl lures the enemy guards to the castle and defeats them. The film realistically depicts the “ninja” living in the Warring States period based on the latest research, including the bursting of smoke screen bullets called “torinoko” (bird’s eggs).

In those days, ninja not only excelled in combat, but also infiltrated enemy territory in disguise. They were also survivalists, skilled in espionage, medicinal herbs, poisonous plants, and even knowledge of astronomy. Episode 5 also features the Hattori party’s huge hideout, complete with large spider webs and skeletons. The world of the ninja is beautifully recreated using the latest technology, such as flying drone bats through the hideout.

For this reason, Marika Matsumoto and the rest of the ninja invited leading ninja studies professor Yuji Yamada of Mie University and Jinichi Kawakami, the 21st head of the Koga-ryu Banto party, and underwent special training in ninja techniques, walking, stick shuriken throwing, etc. for the shoot. In the past, Takashi Fujii played a ninja in “Sanadamaru” (’16) and Takashi Okamura played a ninja in “Kirin ga Kuru” (’20), but this time, Takayuki Yamada was chosen to play the leading role of Hanzo, the leader of the Hattori party. There is no doubt that the activities of the ninja will be featured prominently in this film,” said a producer from the production company.

This is actually the first collaboration with Matsumoto Jun, who plays Ieyasu and is the same age as Yamada, and they also share the same debut year. The two are known to be good friends in their private lives, but their paths to date have been very different.

If we were to use an analogy, Matsumoto Jun is the sun who has risen to become a national idol, while Yamada is the moon with a shadow. Although he first gained attention with the morning drama “Churasan” (NHK), he has been highly acclaimed in the niche world of late-night dramas such as the “Yami Kin Ushijimakun” series (Mainichi Broadcasting System), the “Yusha Yoshihiko” series (TV Tokyo), and the distributed drama “Zen-Naked Director” (Netflix).

Moreover, yearning for a self-sufficient lifestyle, Yamada began living in two locations, in Tokyo and Okinawa, a few years ago. Yamada, who is truly a shady character and yearns for a self-sufficient lifestyle, would be perfect for the role of a ninja,” said a person involved in a wide-ranging TV show.

Yamada’s role as Hattori Hanzo is not a simple one, but a difficult one.

To begin with, the Hattori family is the head family of the Iga Ninja. His father, Yasunaga, is said to have come to Mikawa and served Ieyasu’s grandfather, Matsudaira Kiyoyasu, and his father, Hirotada. His son, Masanari Hanzo, was born the head of the Hattori party, but disliked conflict. He vowed to live up to his father’s last will and testament, which stated, “Do not be a ninja.” However, his family lived in poverty, and he had no choice but to start working as a ninja under Ieyasu.

However, Hanzo himself could not even throw a single stick shuriken properly. He lacks self-confidence and is not good at socializing. He does not trust people, is closed-minded, speaks in a low voice, and refuses to make eye contact with others. He plays a very eccentric role.

Such Hanzo achieved military success in numerous battles, including the “Battle of Anegawa,” the “Battle of Mikagahara,” and the “Iga Crossing,” and rose through the ranks to become a vassal with the nickname “Oni no Hanzo. After entering the Kanto region, he became a powerful Hatamoto with 8,000 koku (about $8,000) under the command of 200 Iga Doshin. How will Takayuki Yamada play such a Hattori Hanzo?

“About Hanzo, he says, ‘I think my father left behind the words, “Don’t be a ninja” because he didn’t want his son to experience the same suffering and pain, but I am sure that Hanzo himself saw his father living as a ninja and longed to be like his father. I am sure that Hanzo himself saw his father living as a ninja and had a longing to be like his father.

If I am asked to do a mission as a ninja, I have the joy of being able to do the same thing as my father did at that time. Yamada himself said that he has a feeling that he has to succeed in his duty.

The comedic and pop-art style of this film has been unpopular among some viewers, and the flag of “What to do about Ieyasu? The activities of the ninja, who make full use of the latest technology, may hold the key to whether or not this production will be interesting.