What Will You Do, Ieyasu?

Concept and Themes

What Will You Do, Ieyasu? marks the third time that NHK has produced a taiga drama centered primarily on Tokugawa Ieyasu as the sole lead protagonist, following Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1983 and Aoi Tokugawa Sandai in 2000. In conceiving the project, screenwriter Ryota Kosawa observed that although Ieyasu is among the most famous hegemons of the Sengoku period, he has often been regarded by the public as less popular or charismatic than figures such as Oda Nobunaga or Toyotomi Hideyoshi, possibly because of an image of him as a cunning figure into whose hands power fell.^[5] Kosawa sought to challenge this image by portraying Ieyasu not as a military genius or a romantic visionary, but as a sensitive, ordinary young man forced by fate and noble birth to put on armor and fight stronger adversaries in a chaotic world.^[5]

The central premise of the series revolves around the title question, presenting human life as a sequence of agonizing choices where no unequivocally correct answers exist.^[5] The story tracks the protagonist from his beginnings as Takechiyo, a lonely princely hostage who has lost his father, home castle, and mother, and who expects to spend his days quietly serving under the Imagawa family.^[6] Encouraged by the expectations and loyalty of his Mikawa retainers, he is drawn into war, relying on his retainers to endure life-or-death crises and eventually build a lasting peace.^[6] Kosawa characterized the central hero as an innocent and unreliable prince with whom modern audiences could empathize as he struggles, weeps, laughs, and perseveres through the turbulent era.^[5]

Synopsis

The narrative of the series is formally structured into four distinct chronological movements, tracing the life of Tokugawa Ieyasu across six decades from his youth in Sunpu through his unification of Japan and his final years at Sunpu Castle.

Early Years and Independence

In 1556, Matsudaira Motonobu lives as a hostage under the powerful daimyo Imagawa Yoshimoto at Rinzai-ji in Sunpu. Despite his hostage status as lord of the subordinate Matsudaira clan of Mikawa, he enjoys a comfortable upbringing under Yoshimoto and his heir Imagawa Ujizane, spending his leisure hours with Sena, the daughter of the Sekiguchi branch of the Imagawa clan. When Motonobu visits Mikawa for his father's seventh memorial service alongside retainer Ishikawa Kazumasa, he is welcomed by Torii Mototada, Sakai Tadatsugu, and other Mikawa retainers, who harbor deep resentment toward the Imagawa and urge him to lead Mikawa toward independence. Upon returning to Suruga, Motonobu bests Ujizane in a formal martial contest, marries Sena as his principal wife, and changes his personal name to Matsudaira Motoyasu.

In 1560, Oda Nobunaga attacks Otaka Castle in Owari. Imagawa Yoshimoto organizes a punitive campaign, assigning Motoyasu his maiden battle mission to deliver provisions into the besieged fortress. Motoyasu completes this difficult assignment with his retainers, but shortly afterward receives news that Yoshimoto has been killed by Nobunaga at the Battle of Okehazama. Thrown into panic, Motoyasu complies with the urgent counsel of his Mikawa retainers to head for Okazaki Castle. On the way, the party is ambushed by fellow Mikawa lord Matsudaira Masahisa and scattered. Fleeing to Daiju-ji, Motoyasu contemplates ritual suicide to atone for his fallen men, but words of loyalty and reproach from Honda Tadakatsu and Sakakibara Yasumasa restore his resolve to rebuild the Imagawa clan.

After entering Okazaki, Motoyasu clashes with his maternal uncle Mizuno Nobumoto, who has allied with the Oda. Facing military pressure and receiving surrender demands, Motoyasu appeals to Ujizane for reinforcements. Ujizane, consumed with stabilizing his own lands, remains unreachable. Pressed by his mother Odai no Kata and senior vassals to break with the Imagawa and partner with Nobunaga, Motoyasu sever ties with Sunpu. In retaliation, an enraged Ujizane executes Mikawa hostages in Suruga, placing Sena and her children in mortal danger. Through clandestine infiltration operations orchestrated by Hattori Hanzo and Honda Masanobu, combined with negotiations conducted by Ishikawa Kazumasa, a hostage exchange for captured Imagawa nobles secures the return of Sena and the children.

Motoyasu concludes the Kiyosu Alliance with Nobunaga, changes his name to Matsudaira Ieyasu, and undertakes the consolidation of Mikawa. Okazaki Castle suffers from acute financial strain, and local unrest grows as the populace turns toward the powerful Buddhist establishment Honsho-ji, led by Kusei-shonin. When Ieyasu breaches the temple's traditional tax-exempt privileges to extract grain, the Mikawa Ikko Uprising breaks out. Compounded by treasury shortfalls, numerous vassals, including Honda Masanobu, defect to the rebel banner. Following severe combat, Ieyasu reconciles with the temple through the mediation of Mizuno Nobumoto, and Masanobu is banished from the province. After establishing descent from the Minamoto clan, Ieyasu receives court rank and the name Tokugawa Ieyasu. As Nobunaga enters Kyoto with Ashikaga Yoshiaki, Takeda Shingen schemes to seize Imagawa territories. Caught between Nobunaga and Shingen, Ieyasu negotiates a partition pact to annex Totomi, taking Hikuma Castle and confronting Ujizane at Kakegawa Castle before permitting Ujizane and his wife Ito to seek refuge with the Hojo.

Confrontations with the Oda and Takeda

In 1570, Ieyasu responds to a summons to Kyoto from Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaki. In the capital, he meets Azai Nagamasa, the upright husband of Nobunaga's sister Oichi, and is impressed by his integrity. Nobunaga then demands that Ieyasu join a campaign into Echizen against Asakura Yoshikage. The coalition captures Tenzutsu Castle and advances toward Ichijodani, awaiting Azai reinforcements. However, Nagamasa abruptly breaks his alliance with Nobunaga to launch a rear assault. Warned by Azuki, a messenger sent by Oichi, Nobunaga orders a retreat from Kanegasaki, with Ieyasu covering the withdrawal. At the subsequent Battle of Anegawa, Nagamasa attempts to turn Ieyasu to his side. Despite inner doubts about Nobunaga's ruthlessness, Ieyasu honors the alliance and helps defeat the Azai and Asakura armies. Subsequently, Ieyasu shifts his base from Okazaki to Hamamatsu Castle in Totomi, placing his heir Matsudaira Nobuyasu in charge of Mikawa.

Takeda Shingen begins drawing away regional garrisons in Mikawa and mistreats Ieyasu's half-brother Matsudaira Katsutoshi, who had been sent as a hostage. Ieyasu dispatches Hattori Hanzo to rescue Katsutoshi, but Shingen allows the escape after warning Katsutoshi that a weak master brings ruin to his people. In late 1572, Shingen initiates a massive westward invasion. Rather than besieging Hamamatsu Castle, the Takeda force bypasses it toward Mikatagahara. Overruling cautious advice, Ieyasu sorties to pursue the Takeda column, only to fall into an ambush. The Tokugawa forces suffer a crushing defeat. Retainers Natsume Hirotsugu and Honda Tadazane sacrifice their lives as rear guards to allow Ieyasu to escape back to Hamamatsu. Shingen soon falls ill and dies suddenly at Komaba in Shinano, forcing a Takeda withdrawal.

Nobunaga takes advantage of Shingen's death by deposing Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaki and destroying the Azai and Asakura clans. In Kai, Takeda Katsuyori succeeds Shingen and proves to be a formidable commander, pressuring Tokugawa defenses. In 1575, Katsuyori besieges Nagashino Castle. Fortress retainer Torii Suneemon slips through enemy lines to reach Okazaki and summon aid from Ieyasu and Nobunaga. Nobunaga agrees to dispatch his main army on the strict condition that Ieyasu's daughter Kamehime marry Okudaira Nobumasa. At the Battle of Shitaragahara, Nobunaga deploys massed volley fire with matchlock muskets, annihilating the Takeda cavalry. Stunned by the overwhelming destructive power of the Oda war machine, Ieyasu and Nobuyasu resign themselves to deeper subservience.

As Nobunaga orders the purge of suspected conspirators, including Mizuno Nobumoto, Sena establishes secret communication with Takeda operative Mochizuki Chiyo. Distressed by endless bloodshed, Sena formulates a grand scheme termed the Realm of Benevolence, proposing that major regional warlords form an economic confederation with unified currency and resolve territorial issues through dialogue rather than warfare. She enlists Takeda commander Anayama Nobutada, the Hisamatsu family, and the Imagawas, gaining tacit compliance from Katsuyori to stage mock skirmishes for two years. However, Katsuyori ultimately repudiates the idealistic plan and exposes the secret correspondence to Nobunaga. Facing Nobunaga's implicit execution demands, Ieyasu attempts to engineer an escape for his wife and son. Nobuyasu refuses to flee and commits suicide at Futamata Castle. Sena bids farewell to Ieyasu at Lake Sanaru and takes her own life, leaving Ieyasu with a lasting commitment to build a peaceful realm.

Struggle with Hideyoshi and Move to Edo

Following the deaths of Sena and Nobuyasu, Ieyasu displays overt obsequiousness toward Nobunaga, creating growing disquiet among his own retainers. After Nobunaga eliminates the Takeda clan during the Koshu Conquest in 1582, Ieyasu hosts an extravagant sightseeing tour of Mount Fuji for him. In private, Ieyasu confides to his closest vassals his secret intention to assassinate Nobunaga and claim national hegemony. During a return banquet hosted by Nobunaga at Azuchi Castle, Akechi Mitsuhide is humiliated after Ieyasu questions the freshness of served fish. When Ieyasu travels to Sakai to finalize assassination arrangements, an appeal from Oichi dissuades him from proceeding.

Before Ieyasu can act, Mitsuhide launches a coup and slays Nobunaga in the Incident at Honno-ji. Receiving the news from merchant Chaya Shirojiro, Ieyasu undertakes a perilous journey across the mountains of Iga to reach Mikawa. While Ieyasu negotiates his escape, Hashiba Hideyoshi swiftly defeats Mitsuhide at the Battle of Yamazaki. Preempted in the central provinces, Ieyasu focuses on Kai and Shinano, prevailing over the Hojo clan during the Tensho-Jingo Conflict to secure five provinces. Hideyoshi subsequently consolidates control over the Oda faction, driving Shibata Katsuie and Oichi to suicide.

Nobunaga's son Oda Nobukatsu appeals to Ieyasu for assistance against Hideyoshi's expanding supremacy. At the Battle of Komaki and Nagakute, Ieyasu counters the Hashiba encirclement strategy and intercepts an inward raiding force led by Ikeda Tsuneoki and Mori Nagayoshi, winning a battlefield victory. However, Hideyoshi outmaneuvers Ieyasu diplomatically by concluding a separate peace with Nobukatsu. Deprived of a casus belli, Ieyasu surrenders his second son Ogi'i as an adopted hostage. Hideyoshi attains the rank of Imperial Regent (Kanpaku) and demands Ieyasu's personal submission.

Ieyasu resists submission until his senior diplomat Ishikawa Kazumasa abruptly defects to Hideyoshi's court in Osaka. Recognizing that Tokugawa defensive secrets are compromised and that military resistance against the unified national regime is unsustainable, Ieyasu relents. Hideyoshi seals the alliance by sending his younger sister Asahi as Ieyasu's second principal wife and dispatching his elderly mother Naka to Okazaki as a temporary hostage. Ieyasu travels to Osaka and pledges formal allegiance. After Hideyoshi destroys the Go-Hojo clan in the Odawara Conquest, he orders Ieyasu to surrender his ancestral Tokai domains and relocate his entire retainer band to the Kanto region, where Ieyasu establishes his administrative capital at Edo Castle.

Hegemony and the Fall of the Toyotomi

In 1592, Hideyoshi launches the continental invasions of Korea. Ieyasu advocates for the cessation of foreign hostilities, and during the second invasion campaign, a failing Hideyoshi entrusts the future of the nation to Ieyasu to safeguard his young heir Toyotomi Hideyori. Following Hideyoshi's death, Ieyasu attempts to manage governance through a collective council of Five Elders (Go-Tairo) and Five Commissioners (Go-Bugyo), but ideological friction with commissioner Ishida Mitsunari escalates into open hostility. After military commanders such as Kato Kiyomasa attack Mitsunari in Osaka, Ieyasu arranges Mitsunari's retirement to Sawayama Castle and takes charge of executive administrative affairs.

When Ieyasu departs Osaka to subdue Uesugi Kagekatsu in Aizu, Mitsunari rallies allies, including Otani Yoshitsugu and Mori Terumoto, to initiate an armed uprising. Mitsunari's coalition captures Fushimi Castle, where Torii Mototada dies leading a sacrificial defense. Although Ieyasu's son Tokugawa Hidetada is delayed by Sanada Masayuki at Ueda Castle, Ieyasu's vanguard marches westward. At the Battle of Sekigahara, assisted by the battlefield defection of Kobayakawa Hideaki, Ieyasu secures total victory over the Western Army. Mitsunari is captured and executed, while opposing daimyos are dispossessed or transferred.

In 1603, Emperor Go-Yozei appoints Ieyasu as Seii Taishogun, founding the Tokugawa shogunate in Edo. Two years later, Ieyasu abdicates in favor of Hidetada to institutionalize hereditary Tokugawa rule, retaining paramount authority as Retired Shogun (Ogosho) from Sunpu. Tensions with the Toyotomi family, led by Hideyori and his mother Chacha at Osaka Castle, culminate over the inscription on the Hokoji temple bell. In the Winter Campaign of the Siege of Osaka, Tokugawa artillery bombards Osaka Castle, forcing a temporary truce negotiated between Lady Acha and Chacha's sister Hatsu.

The peace unravels within months over the dismantling of castle fortifications and the presence of masterless samurai (ronin). In the Summer Campaign, Ieyasu overcomes fierce charges led by Sanada Nobushige into the shogunate headquarters. Hideyori and Chacha commit suicide as Osaka Castle burns, extinguishing the Toyotomi lineage despite desperate pleas for clemency from Ieyasu's granddaughter Senhime. In his final days at Sunpu Castle, an aged Ieyasu reflects with sorrow on a lifetime spent in slaughter. Visions of Sena and Nobuyasu appear before him, commending him for securing an era where future generations, represented by his grandson Takechiyo, can live without wearing armor. Reassured that enduring peace has been attained, Ieyasu passes away.

Cast and Characters

The drama features an extensive ensemble cast representing historical figures from across the Sengoku and early Edo periods, including members of competing military houses, regional kokushu, Buddhist institutions, and commoners.

The Tokugawa House

Tokugawa Ieyasu, portrayed by Jun Matsumoto as an adult and Waku Kawaguchi in his youth, begins life as Matsudaira Takechiyo, sequentially taking the names Motonobu, Motoyasu, Matsudaira Ieyasu, and finally Tokugawa Ieyasu.^[3][7] Although born in the year of the rabbit, his mother Odai repeatedly told him he was born in the year, day, and hour of the tiger to foster inner strength. Initially an indecisive and fragile young lord, he endures hostage life, familial loss, and battlefield catastrophes, gradually cultivating calculated cunning and patience. He studies the Analects and Azuma Kagami, learns pharmaceutical compounding from Sena, and is deified after death as Tosho Daigongen by the monk Tenkai.

Sena, also known as Lady Tsukiyama and played by Kasumi Arimura, is Ieyasu's first principal wife and the daughter of Sekiguchi Ujizumi. Warm and dedicated, she provides emotional stability for Ieyasu and is revered by the Mikawa retainers. Seeking an end to Sengoku warfare, she conceives the Realm of Benevolence confederation plan. When the conspiracy is discovered, she commits suicide by the shore of Lake Sanaru to shield the Tokugawa house from Oda retaliation, continuing to guide Ieyasu's vision of peace in spirit throughout his later life.

Asahi, portrayed by Maho Yamada, is Toyotomi Hideyoshi's younger sister who is wed to Ieyasu as his second official wife to cement the Tokugawa-Toyotomi alliance. While outwardly cheerful, she suffers profound emotional sorrow over being utilized as an instrument of political coercion. Ieyasu eventually accords her genuine respect, and she resides in Kyoto until her death from illness prior to the Odawara campaign.

Oyo (Kana Kita), Ieyasu's first concubine and from a branch of the Udono family, bears his daughter Ofu but realizes she longs for the maidservant Miyo; she asks to end her duties as a concubine, is not punished, and raises Ofu with Miyo. Oman (Rena Matsui), a shrine maiden of Chiryu, becomes pregnant after attending to Ieyasu and bears Ogii (Yuki Hideyasu). Lady Oai (Alice Hirose), a bright and myopic widow fond of reading, becomes Ieyasu's beloved partner and gives birth to Tokugawa Hidetada and Matsudaira Tadayoshi before dying prematurely. Lady Acha (Wakana Matsumoto), a shrewd and politically astute daughter of a Takeda retainer, acts as an administrative assistant and military liaison, leading negotiations during the Siege of Osaka.

Matsudaira Nobuyasu, portrayed by Kanata Hosoda and as a child by Mahoro Terajima, Ryoki Matsui, and Ren Ishizuka, is Ieyasu's eldest son and heir.^[8] Despite martial promise, the relentless brutality of war erodes his mental balance. He endorses his mother's peace initiative and ultimately takes his own life at Futamata Castle. His wife Gotoku, played by Shiori Kubo, is Oda Nobunaga's proud daughter, who initially looks down on the provincial Tokugawa family but gradually grows devoted to Nobuyasu and Sena before being compelled to report their Takeda ties to her father.

Tokugawa Hidetada, played by Win Morisaki (childhood by Rihito Shigematsu and Ryusei Ota), succeeds Ieyasu as the second shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty.^[9][10] Characterized as an ordinary man without innate military genius, he accepts his limitations and demonstrates resolute leadership during the Siege of Osaka. His wife Go, played by Maiko, is the youngest daughter of Azai Nagamasa and Oichi, whose daughter Senhime (Nanoka Hara) marries Toyotomi Hideyori in a tragic bid to unite the shogunate and the Toyotomi.

Tokugawa Retainers

Sakai Tadatsugu, portrayed by Nao Omori, is Ieyasu's paternal uncle, the chief elder of the Tokugawa house and the foremost of the Four Heavenly Kings (Tokugawa Shitenno). An unshakeable pillar of loyalty, he frequently raises morale by performing the traditional Ebi-sukui shrimp dance. He governs eastern Mikawa from Yoshida Castle, leads forces at Nagakute, and advises Ieyasu to claim national supremacy before dying in Kyoto.

Ishikawa Kazumasa, played by Yutaka Matsushige, is a seasoned elder responsible for administrative diplomacy and Ieyasu's upbringing. While arranging the peace between Ieyasu and Hideyoshi after the Komaki-Nagakute campaign, Kazumasa concludes that resisting Hideyoshi's power is impossible; isolated within the Tokugawa house and seeing that Ieyasu will not give up resisting, he leaves the Tokugawa and becomes Hideyoshi's retainer. His wife Nabe (Tae Kimura) goes with him to Osaka, leaving behind a fine comb that Nene had given her to show that their departure was not bought by the Toyotomi.

Honda Tadakatsu, portrayed by Yuki Yamada, is a fierce warrior known for never suffering a single wound in battle. At first he refuses to accept Ieyasu as his lord but grows steadily loyal; he wields his spear Tonbogiri to protect Ieyasu during the crossing of Iga, and at Komaki-Nagakute he keeps the main Hashiba army from joining its flanking force. His uncle, Honda Tadazane (Kazuki Namioka), raises him and dies at Mikatagahara standing alone as the rear guard.

Sakakibara Yasumasa, played by Yosuke Sugino, enters service as an educated youth from Daiju-ji who joins Ieyasu's side during the Mikawa clashes. Intellectually sharp and tactically gifted, he rivals Tadakatsu in military ardor while serving as a strategic planner. At Komaki, he authors inflammatory manifestos mocking Hideyoshi's peasant lineage and leads the initial strike against Ikeda Tsuneoki's division. Later appointed lord of Tatebayashi Castle, he tutors the young Hidetada before his death in 1606.

Ii Naomasa, portrayed by Rihito Itagaki, first encounters Ieyasu as an orphaned fugitive intent on assassinating him in Totomi. Impressed by Ieyasu's mercy and aspiration to bring smiles to the peasantry, he becomes an attendant and adopts the red-lacquered armor of the fallen Takeda army, earning fame as the Red Demon (Ii no Akaoni). He commands the vanguard at Sekigahara, where he sustains a severe firearm wound while pursuing retreating Shimazu forces, later dying of the injury.

Torii Mototada, played by Takuma Otoo, is a straightforward and unflinching retainer who has served Ieyasu since childhood. Ordered to hold Fushimi Castle during Ieyasu's campaign against the Uesugi, he expects to die there and shares a farewell cup with Ieyasu; when Ishida's forces attack, he refuses to surrender and is killed fighting. His father, Torii Tadayoshi (Issey Ogata), a former chief elder of the Matsudaira house, guards Okazaki while Ieyasu is away and secretly stores money and weapons to restore the Matsudaira family. Mototada's second wife, Mochizuki Chiyo (Kotone Furukawa), is a former Takeda kunoichi who abandons espionage and perishes beside Mototada defending Fushimi.

Honda Masanobu, portrayed by Kenichi Matsuyama, is an eccentric and disdained strategist who joins the rebel side during the Mikawa Ikko Uprising and is exiled. After wandering from place to place and serving as strategist to Momochi Tanba, head of the Iga school, he wins Ieyasu's release when Tanba captures him during the crossing of Iga and is allowed to return, and after the Edo shogunate is founded he leads the government as chief elder. His son, Honda Masazumi (Yuki Inoue), is a sharp retainer who dislikes tricks and speaks plainly, rises to be Ieyasu's close aide, and advises Ieyasu over the rebuilding of Hoko-ji.

Other key vassals include Okubo Tadayo (Shinya Kote), a cheerful, caring elder-brother figure who fights on the front line and is later made lord of Odawara Castle in Sagami; Hiraiwa Chikayoshi (Dai Okabe), a passionate but tearful retainer who stays at Okazaki as Nobuyasu's guardian; Natsume Hirotsugu (Masahiro Komoto), a clerk who betrays Ieyasu during the Mikawa Ikko Uprising and at Mikatagahara puts on Ieyasu's armor to act as a decoy and is killed; and Watanabe Moritsuna (Subaru Kimura), a boisterous spearman and Ikko believer who joins the rebels at Honsho-ji before returning to Tokugawa service.

The Hattori Ninja Group

Hattori Hanzo, whose given name is Masashige, is portrayed by Takayuki Yamada and leads the Hattori band, a group of ninja whose members belong to the Iga school; his ancestors came from Iga. Despite commanding ninja mercenaries, Hanzo is an insecure samurai who frequently insists that he is not a shinobi. He is tasked with dangerous infiltration, sabotage, and hostage rescue operations, including the recovery of Sena and her children from Kaminogo Castle and the execution of the painful mercy stroke (kaishaku) at Nobuyasu's suicide.

Onezumi, played by Marika Matsumoto, is a calm, unemotional kunoichi of the Iga school and a chief of the Hattori band, highly skilled with weapons, who inherits the Onezumi name after the death of her father, the Senior Onezumi (Tetsuya Chiba). Wholly devoted to being a ninja, she has put aside being a woman; she excels at infiltration using her flexible body and at disguise, helps Hanzo, who is unused to projectile weapons, and protects Ieyasu's party during the crossing of Iga, after which she and Hanzo promise to marry at Shiroko beach in Ise.

Other members of the covert band include Anaguma (Kazuo Kawabata), Oyamainu (Catcher Nakazawa), Mashira (Yuta Onose), and Inosuke (Nobuyasu Oda), who carry out surveillance and assault missions across enemy territory.^[11][12]

The Oda Clan and Allies

Oda Nobunaga is portrayed by Junichi Okada, and by Kira Miura in his youth. He is depicted as a cold, ruthless ruler who favors Western novelties such as a globe, wine and konpeito and is among the first to wear Western-style clothing. Having tested and trained Ieyasu in sumo during their childhood in Owari, he views Ieyasu as his fragile white rabbit, subjecting him to harsh trials to force him into a hardened conqueror. Haunted by premonitions of assassination, he expects Ieyasu to strike him down, and is dismayed to discover that Akechi Mitsuhide is his true attacker at Honno-ji.

Nobunaga's father, Oda Nobuhide (Hiroshi Fujioka), raises him strictly, first teaching him that everyone around him is an enemy and he can trust only himself, but as his death nears he allows Nobunaga to have one friend by whom he would be willing to be killed. Nobunaga's sister Oichi, played by Keiko Kitagawa (childhood by Yuwa Kamimura), is a spirited and martial noblewoman who originally hoped to marry Ieyasu. She marries Azai Nagamasa and later Shibata Katsuie, choosing to perish alongside Katsuie in the flames of Kitanosho Castle after sending her daughters to safety.

Nobunaga's second son Oda Nobukatsu, played by Kenta Hamano, is a timid man who asks Ieyasu for help against Hideyoshi, then gives in once Hideyoshi turns his attack on him and makes peace with Hideyoshi without telling Ieyasu. His brother Oda Nobutaka is played by Tomohiro Yoshida, and Nobunaga's grandson Sanboshi is played by Aoi Hamada.

Akechi Mitsuhide, portrayed by Yoshi Sakou, is a fastidious and proud Oda elder whose relationship with Ieyasu is marred by mutual antipathy. Following public humiliation at Azuchi Castle over a ceremonial banquet, Mitsuhide initiates the coup at Honno-ji, only to be crushed by Hideyoshi at Yamazaki and slain by local peasant militia while fleeing.

Other major Oda retainers include the elder Shibata Katsuie (Mitsuo Yoshihara), the chief elder Sakuma Nobumori (Tatekawa Danshun), who is high-handed toward Ieyasu, Ikeda Tsuneoki (Satoshi Tokushige), Niwa Nagahide (Akira Fukuzawa), and Nobunaga's attendant Mori Ran (Riku Onishi).

The Toyotomi Clan and Administrators

Toyotomi Hideyoshi, portrayed by Tsuyoshi Muro, rises from impoverished peasant origins in Owari to become supreme ruler of Japan. Energetic, chatty, and quick-witted, he conceals a cold, insatiable ambition and willingness to sacrifice anyone for power. Driven by relentless desire, he unifies the country, ascends to Kanpaku, and initiates foreign invasions of Korea, but descends into paranoia and physical frailty in his final years, ultimately leaving the fate of the realm in Ieyasu's hands.

Nene, also known as Kodai-in and played by Emi Wakui, is Hideyoshi's principal wife. Weary of the age of war, she views Hideyoshi's greed coolly, hints as Hideyoshi's illness worsens that she would leave the realm to Ieyasu, and after Hideyoshi's death shelters Acha when Mitsunari raises an army. Hideyoshi's mother, Naka (Atsuko Takahata), is a simple peasant woman who is uneasy with the position and treatment she receives as the ruler's mother, and while held as a hostage at Okazaki Castle she confesses that she fears the son who has risen so high.

Chacha, also known as Yodo-dono and played by Keiko Kitagawa (childhood by Tamaki Shiratori), is Oichi's eldest daughter who becomes Hideyoshi's concubine and bears his heir Toyotomi Hideyori. Harboring resentment toward Ieyasu for failing to rescue her mother at Kitanosho, she schemes to preserve the autonomous glory of the Toyotomi house, steering the confrontation that culminates in the destruction of Osaka Castle.

Toyotomi Hideyori, played by Ryuto Sakuma, grows into a handsome, charming young lord whom Ieyasu fears as a composed, good-looking Hideyoshi. After the winter campaign at Osaka he declares that he wants to live through an age of war and urges the ronin to take up arms again, and after defeat in the summer campaign he takes his own life in Osaka Castle. Hideyoshi's nephew Toyotomi Hidetsugu is played by Masato Yamashita, and Hideyoshi's brother Toyotomi Hidenaga is played by Ryuta Sato.

Ishida Mitsunari, portrayed by Nakamura Shichinosuke II, is an honest, earnest administrator who never bends his convictions, and he first becomes friends with Ieyasu when they meet while he is watching the stars at Osaka Castle. After Hideyoshi's death, Mitsunari comes into conflict with Ieyasu and the military faction, and is attacked by generals including Kato Kiyomasa (Yasushi Fuchikami) and Fukushima Masanori (Motoki Fukami). He later raises an army with Mori Terumoto as commander of the Western Army and is defeated at Sekigahara.

The Five Elders (Go-Tairo) assisting the Toyotomi regime include Maeda Toshiie (Shin Takuma), Mori Terumoto (Mitsuru Fukikoshi), Uesugi Kagekatsu (Kanji Tsuda), and Ukita Hideie (Shuntaro Yanagi). The Five Commissioners (Go-Bugyo) alongside Mitsunari include Asano Nagamasa (Takayuki Hamatsu), Mashita Nagamori (Yohei Kumabe), Natsuka Masaie (Ikuma Nagatomo), and Tokuzen'in Gen'i (Seminosuke Murasugi).

Key commanders in the Toyotomi orbit include Otani Yoshitsugu (Shugo Oshinari), Konishi Yukinaga (Mansaku Ikeuchi), Shima Sakon (Tsutomu Takahashi), Kobayakawa Hideaki (Riku Kashima), Kuroda Nagamasa (Shinnosuke Abe), Todo Takatora (Rin Amikawa), Ono Harunaga (Tetsuji Tamayama), and Katagiri Katsumoto (Jun'ya Kawashima). During the final siege, Osaka Castle is reinforced by ronin captains including Chosokabe Morichika (Hachizo Hino), Goto Matabei (Ken Kurahara), and Sanada Nobushige.

The Imagawa and Takeda Clans

Imagawa Yoshimoto, portrayed by Mansai Nomura, is the ruler of Suruga and Totomi. Highly cultured and dignified, he educates the young Takechiyo in statecraft, imparting the core maxim that ruling by virtue represents the royal path (odo) while ruling by force is merely hegemony (hado). He gifts Ieyasu his golden armor (kinda-mi gusoku) before dying at Okehazama.

Imagawa Ujizane, played by Junpei Mizobata, is Yoshimoto's heir. Ujizane has an inferiority complex toward his great father and grows into a rival of Ieyasu. When Ieyasu breaks away from the Imagawa, Ujizane executes the Mikawa hostages. Besieged in Kakegawa Castle, he surrenders it at Ieyasu's persuasion and flees to the Hojo. Late in life he becomes a monk under the name Sogin, comes under Ieyasu's protection, and encourages Ieyasu as he struggles with the burden of ruling the realm. His wife Ito, played by Mirai Shida, is the sister of Hojo Ujimasa and quietly watches over Ujizane, wishing to support him.

Sekiguchi Ujizumi (Atsuro Watabe) and his wife Tomoe (Miki Maya) are Sena's parents, who stay behind with the Imagawa during the hostage exchange that sends their daughter to Ieyasu, Ujizumi remaining to take the blame for Ieyasu's defection. Udono Nagateru (Toru Nomaguchi) defends Kaminogo Castle before dying by his own hand. His sister Tazu (Nagisa Sekimizu), Sena's childhood companion, takes command of Hikuma Castle following the death of her husband Iio Tsuratatsu (Gota Watabe), resisting Ieyasu's siege until she is killed in battle.

Takeda Shingen, portrayed by Hiroshi Abe, is the lord of Kai and Shinano. A master of strategy, psychological warfare, and political subversion, he views Ieyasu as a petty youth and seeks to subjugate the Tokai provinces. He engineers the crushing victory at Mikatagahara before succumbing to terminal illness on campaign, concealing his death for three years.

Takeda Katsuyori, played by Gordon Maeda, is Shingen's proud and militarily capable successor. He maintains aggressive pressure on Mikawa until his cavalry division is decimated at Shitaragahara. Following the collapse of the Realm of Benevolence scheme, he is abandoned by his vassals and dies in a last stand at Mount Tenmoku during the Oda-Tokugawa conquest of Kai.

Senior Takeda commanders include Yamagata Masakage (Satoshi Hashimoto), commander of the red-armoured elite unit, who dies charging the Oda and Tokugawa forces at Shitaragahara, and Anayama Nobutada (Seiichi Tanabe), a Takeda relative and strategist who pledges loyalty to the Oda and Tokugawa and is later killed in Ieyasu's place during the crossing of Iga.

The Sanada and Hojo Clans

Sanada Masayuki, portrayed by Koichi Sato, is the crafty lord of Ueda Castle in Shinano, a former Takeda retainer who after the fall of the Takeda changes masters in turn to Nobunaga, the Hojo and the Tokugawa, and later goes over to the Uesugi. He defeats Tokugawa forces in the First Battle of Ueda and stalls Hidetada's main army during the Second Battle of Ueda, passing his burning anti-Tokugawa defiance to his younger son before dying in exile at Mount Kudo.

Sanada Nobuyuki, played by Kaito Yoshimura, is Masayuki's elder son who sides with the Tokugawa to preserve the clan line, marrying Honda Tadakatsu's daughter Ina (Yui Narumi). Sanada Nobushige, played by Wataru Hyuga, joins the ronin at Osaka Castle, uses the Sanada-maru as his base in the winter campaign, and in the summer campaign charges into the Tokugawa headquarters and attacks Ieyasu before being killed.

Hojo Ujimasa (Taro Suruga) and his son Hojo Ujinao (Jun Nishiyama) rule Sagami, Musashi, Izu, Kazusa, Shimosa and Kozuke from Odawara Castle. After fighting Ieyasu over Kai and Shinano, they make peace, and as a condition Ujinao marries Ieyasu's daughter Ofu (Asahi Seino). Rejecting Hideyoshi's demands to submit, the Hojo are besieged in 1590; Ujimasa commits seppuku, while Ujinao is spared through Ieyasu's intercession.

Other regional leaders and figures include Asai Nagamasa (Yusuke Onuki), Mizuno Nobumoto (Susumu Terajima), Matsudaira Masahisa (Akihiro Kakuta), and Kira Yoshiakira (Kenichi Yajima).

Religious and Regional Figures

Kusei-shonin, played by Ichikawa Udanji III, is the head priest of Honsho-ji in Mikawa, whose teaching that the sins of this world end in this world makes him popular with Ikko followers; when Ieyasu violates the temples' right of non-entry, he takes up arms against him in the Mikawa Ikko Uprising. Toyo-shonin (Kotaro Satomi), head priest of Daiju-ji, the Matsudaira family temple in Mikawa, shelters Motoyasu when he is pursued by the Ogusa Matsudaira forces after Okehazama, and finds evidence that the Matsudaira descend from the Serada and Tokugawa families of the Nitta line of the Seiwa Genji.

Other religious and scholarly figures include the Rinzai monk Konchi'in Suden (Ryosei Tayama), the Confucian scholar Hayashi Razan (Tetsuo), and the Tendai monk Nankobo Tenkai (Shun Oguri), an aide to Ieyasu and Hidetada who deifies Ieyasu after his death. Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaki is portrayed by Arata Furuta as a dull-witted heavy drinker who becomes Nobunaga's puppet and is eventually driven out of Kyoto by Nobunaga.

English navigator William Adams, played by Tatsumasa Murasame, drifts ashore at Usuki Bay in Bungo, is taken to Osaka and questioned by Ieyasu, then receives the name Miura Anjin and serves as an official of the shogunate, arranging culverin cannons from England for the Siege of Osaka.

Townspeople include Chaya Shirojiro Kiyonobu and his son Kiyotada, both played by Nakamura Kankuro VI, Mikawa merchants; the elder Chaya, a wealthy Kyoto merchant and former Matsudaira retainer, helps Ieyasu and brings him news of the Honno-ji Incident. An old woman selling dumplings in the castle town of Hikuma (Hamamatsu), played by Rie Shibata, hates Ieyasu for the death of Lady Tazu, sells him dumplings with stones in them and spreads mocking rumors about him after Mikatagahara, and later apologizes to him when he leaves for Sunpu.

Production

NHK announced the production of What Will You Do, Ieyasu? on January 19, 2021, revealing Ryota Kosawa as the scriptwriter and Jun Matsumoto in the starring role as Tokugawa Ieyasu.^[2]

Development and Announcement

Following the initial commissioning announcement, the casting process unfolded through twelve successive public waves between November 2021 and September 2023.^{[13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26]} The official production logo was unveiled on September 5, 2022.^[27]

In a departure from established tradition, the customary ceremonial handover baton ceremony between the outgoing taiga drama lead actor and the incoming lead, which had previously been conducted solely before assembled press representatives, took place on December 31, 2022, during the live broadcast of the 73rd NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen. Filming formally concluded on October 26, 2023, after which no reciprocal handover ceremony with the subsequent taiga drama production was held.^[28]

Filming and Visual Effects

Principal photography commenced on June 5, 2022, in Aichi Prefecture.^[29] The series represented a milestone in the technical history of NHK taiga dramas as the first entry to extensively integrate cutting-edge in-camera virtual production utilizing massive LED wall screens in combination with traditional green-screen chroma key compositing.^[4]

This virtual studio workflow allowed the production crew to render photorealistic Sengoku-era landscapes, weather conditions, and architectural vistas in real time directly behind the performers, mitigating location shooting constraints and simulating sweeping open-air environments within indoor soundstages.^[4]

However, the digital visual effects employed for large-scale outdoor action sequences and equine maneuvers generated substantial discussion among television analysts and equestrian coordinators.^[30]

Title Sequences and Music

The title lettering and program logo were designed by the unit GOO CHOKI PAR. The program logo was released on September 5, 2022.^[27] The title sequence was made by Seiichi Hishikawa. Three completely distinct title background sequences were created to reflect the changing tone of the narrative: an early sequence spanning episodes 1 to 17, a mid-season version for episodes 18 to 34, and a late-season version from episode 35 through the finale.^[31] In addition, a one-night special edition opening sequence was crafted specifically for episode 44.^[32]

The musical score and featured piano solos were composed and performed by Hibiki Inamoto. The orchestral main title theme, Akatsuki no Sora (Morning Sky), was performed by the NHK Symphony Orchestra under the baton of conductor Tadaaki Otaka.

The voice-over narration throughout the series was delivered by actress Shinobu Terajima, speaking from the retrospective perspective of Lady Kasuga, the nurse of Ieyasu's grandson Iemitsu.^[33] Audio description for visually impaired viewers on secondary audio channels was provided by Shu Munakata.

Advisory and Production Staff

The production team operated under chief producers Tomoaki Iso and Shunpei Murayama, alongside producers Shunpei Murayama and Shunsuke Kawaguchi. Directorial oversight was headed by supervising director Taku Kato, directing episodes alongside Naoki Murahashi, Takeshi Kawakami, Michi Ono, Satoshi Tanaka, Yudai Noguchi, Toki Kajiwara, and Shusuke Nakamura.

Historical accuracy and period context were guided by academic consultants, including Professor Emeritus Tetsuo Owada of Shizuoka University, Yu Hirayama, and Hiroyuki Shiba.^[34][35] Ancient documents were verified by Yasushi Oishi, architectural structures by Masayuki Miura, and customs by Yoshihiko Sata.

Character design was supervised by Isao Tsuge, with special makeup by Etsuko Egawa, Fumihiro Kanda, and Haruka Takahata. Choreography and physical carriage were taught by Hanayanagi Juraku, action and stunt coordination was directed by Yuta Morokaji, martial arts by Shinji Matsumoto, and equestrian staging by Mitsunori Tanaka.^[30]

Specialized cultural coaching included ninja history by Yuji Yamada, ninja physical techniques by Jinichi Kawakami, Buddhist rituals by Shuken Furukawa and Homare Chikamatsu, calligraphy by Shinbo Kanashiki, tea ceremony and flower arrangement by Shuchi Iseki, woodcarving by Koun Seki, kemari by Takashi Yamamoto, medical procedures by Yasuhiko Tomita, recitation of classical Chinese texts by Rintaro Goyama, go tactics by Yuto Tajiri, Mikawa dialect coaching by Hiromi Shibata, Owari dialect by Tsuyoshi Hayakawa, and Portuguese language instruction by Oziel Nozaki.

Broadcast and Programming

What Will You Do, Ieyasu? was broadcast across NHK domestic and satellite channels, supplemented by extensive regional travelogues, companion documentaries, and variety specials.

Broadcast History and Times

The drama aired on NHK General TV on Sunday evenings from 20:00 to 20:45, with repeat broadcasts on Saturday afternoons from 13:05 to 13:50.^[36] Early satellite broadcasts were carried on BS Premium and BS4K on Sunday mornings at 12:15 and early evenings at 18:00.^[37] After NHK reorganized its BS broadcasting on December 1, 2023, BS Premium 4K and BS kept the same broadcast times. The premiere episode on January 8 and the final episode on December 17 were broadcast with an extended 15-minute runtime.^[2][38]

.

Omnibus and Special Editions

Regular Sunday programming was preempted on two occasions in 2023: on April 9 due to comprehensive news coverage of the 20th unified local elections (with the subsequent April 23 broadcast delayed by 15 minutes), and on September 10 due to live coverage of the 2023 Rugby World Cup match between Japan and Chile.^[39][40]

On December 29, 2023, NHK General and BS4K broadcast a four-part condensed omnibus edition totaling four and a half hours, structured into Chapter 1 (Hajimari no Toki, covering episodes 1 to 12), Chapter 2 (Shiren no Toki, covering episodes 13 to 26), Chapter 3 (Yakudo no Toki, covering episodes 27 to 39), and Chapter 4 (Kakugo no Toki, covering episodes 40 to 48).^[41]

Travel Segments and Companion Shows

Each regular episode concluded with a brief documentary travelogue segment entitled Dousuru Ieyasu Tours (Kiko), narrated by actor Yutaka Matsushige with piano accompaniment by Hibiki Inamoto.^[42] These segments introduced historical landmarks, battlefields, shrines, and municipal museums associated with the episode's narrative across Shizuoka, Aichi, Mie, Gifu, Shiga, Fukui, Yamanashi, Nagano, Kyoto, Osaka, and Tokyo.^[43] Featured on-screen travelers included cast members Jun Matsumoto, Nanako Matsushima, Kanata Hosoda, Rihito Itagaki, Kasumi Arimura, Shinya Kote, Alice Hirose, Yuki Yamada, Ryuto Sakuma, and Nanoka Hara.

NHK produced extensive companion programming across its television channels. In advance of the premiere, NHK BS Premium and BS4K broadcast two documentary specials entitled Dousuru Matsumoto Jun? Tokugawa Ieyasu no Daiboken on March 26 and September 10, 2022, following Matsumoto as he visited key historical locations.^[44][45] NHK Nagoya produced regional talk specials under the Tokai Domannaka! banner in June 2022 and January and February 2023.^{[46][47][48][49]}

The geography program Buratamori aired four dedicated episodes examining the topography of Sunpu, Hikone, Sekigahara, and Gifu in relation to Ieyasu and Nobunaga.^[50] Educational program Senjin-tachi no Sokojikara: Chieizu explored political strategies of Hideyoshi, Ieyasu, Imagawa Ujizane, and Ishikawa Kazumasa across seven episodes.^{[51][52][53][54][55][56][57][58]} Investigation program Rekishi Tantei produced sixteen collaborative investigative episodes exploring Sekigahara intelligence networks, Azuchi Castle virtual reconstructions, the Battle of Nagashino, and the Siege of Osaka.^{[59][60][61][62][63][64][65]}

Additional dedicated coverage included E-Tele's Ijintachi no Nenshu: How Much?, BS Premium's Eiyu-tachi no Sentaku, promotional actor interviews on Tsuchi Suta, behind-the-scenes documentary coverage on 100 Kame, and biweekly radio retrospectives on Radio Shinyabin.^{[66][67][68][69][70][71][72][73][74][75][76]}

Reception and Viewership

The drama generated public discussion regarding its narrative style, technical implementation, and character portrayals, while its viewing figures differed between broadcast and digital platforms.

Ratings and Audience Demographics

The opening episode registered an average household viewership rating of 15.4 percent (individual rating 9.6 percent) in the Kanto region, representing a 1.9 percentage point decline from the premiere of the preceding taiga drama The 13 Lords of the Shogun and tying with Segodon as the second-lowest opening rating in taiga drama history behind Kasuga no Tsubone.^[43][77] Ratings fluctuated over the course of the year, dropping to a low of 7.2 percent for episode 10 on March 12 and episode 38 on October 8, before rebounding to 12.3 percent for the finale.^[43][78]

The series concluded with an overall average household rating of 11.2 percent (individual rating 6.7 percent) in the Kanto region.^[43][79][80] This figure placed the series as the second-lowest rated taiga drama in NHK history, falling below the 12.0 percent records of Taira no Kiyomori and Hana Moyu, and standing ahead only of Idaten.^[80][81] The drama's comprehensive viewing rating, combining live and time-shifted viewing, was 17.7 percent, 2.5 percentage points lower than its immediate predecessor.^[82]

Conversely, the program achieved the highest total catch-up streaming viewership in the history of NHK's digital video-on-demand service NHK Plus.^[83] Analysts noted that younger viewers of NHK dramas increased, while older viewers received the show negatively.^[81]

Critical Debates and Creative Choices

Critical reactions were polarized throughout the broadcast year, particularly on social media and among historical researchers.^[81][84][85] Much criticism targeted the extensive reliance on computer-generated imagery for background scenery and cavalry maneuvers.^[86][87] Mitsunori Tanaka, the production's equestrian coordinator, said that after the first episode aired, acquaintances in the horse world questioned the quality of the CGI horses, and that he was also a little disappointed, while television scholar Yasunari Furisaki commented that although NHK has historically sought to pioneer cutting-edge broadcast technology, more preparation time was needed to integrate the VFX smoothly.^[30]

The architectural depiction of Kiyosu Castle also drew scrutiny for historical inaccuracy.^[35] Professor Hiroyuki Shiba, an official historical consultant for the series, acknowledged that the historical consultants' responsibilities were primarily limited to reviewing the written scripts rather than supervising visual rendering, conceding that closer communication with the visual production team was needed to prevent discrepancies between text and image.^[35] In response, writer Ryota Kosawa stated that history allows for diverse creative interpretations and emphasized that while he anticipated academic debates, all verified documentation provided by the consultants was respected in constructing the narrative.^[88]

A storyline about the concubine Oyo and her romantic attraction to another woman drew controversy.^[34] Media analyst Reichi Narima noted that the inclusion of LGBTQ themes reflected contemporary television trends exploring sexual identity, aligning with NHK's desire to modernize the taiga genre.^[34] Professor Emeritus Tetsuo Owada admitted surprise upon first reading the script, remarking that while male-male romantic relationships were not taboo in that period, he had never heard of female same-sex relationships, though he approved the script as an imaginative modernization of an obscure historical figure.^[34]

Columnist Takashi Kimura suggested that the drama may not have satisfied history enthusiasts and experts, and that Kosawa's new perspective, with its story of hope and a weak young protagonist, might not have been accepted by them.^[89] Critic Kazuo Yawata argued that the central flaw lay in portraying Ieyasu as a timid, indecisive figure who was pushed into national leadership solely by the aid of those around him, asserting that the drama became conceptually incoherent by attempting to reconcile contemporary scholarship with the traditional Edo-period legend of Ieyasu as an enduring sufferer.^[90] Historical critic Toshi Kohara similarly attributed the low ratings to oversimplified character motivations, the anachronistic projection of modern gender dynamics onto the past, and an overemphasis on tearful melodrama at the expense of political realism.^[91]

Regional Promotions and Cultural Impact

The production catalyzed extensive cultural tourism, regional promotional campaigns, and municipal tie-ins throughout central Japan, particularly in territories historically linked to Ieyasu's rise.

Museums and Municipal Collaborations

Three municipal Taiga Drama Museums (Taiga Dorama Kan) were established in Tokai cities intimately connected to Ieyasu's biography.^[92][93][94] In Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture, the existing Mikawa Bushi House Ieyasu Pavilion inside Okazaki Park was renovated into the Okazaki Taiga Drama Museum, operating from January 21, 2023, to January 8, 2024, and drawing 636,420 visitors under honorary director Iehiro Tokugawa, the heir to the Tokugawa main house.^{[92][95][96][97]}

In Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, the Hamamatsu Taiga Drama Museum was erected on the site of the former Motoshiro Elementary School adjacent to Hamamatsu Castle, welcoming 640,314 visitors between its pre-opening in January 2023 and its closure on January 14, 2024, with Iehiro Tokugawa likewise serving as honorary director.^{[93][97][98][99]} In Shizuoka City, the former Shizuoka City Cultural Property Museum within the grounds of Shizuoka Sengen Shrine was renovated into the Shizuoka Taiga Drama Museum, directed by rakugo performer Shota Shunpute and welcoming approximately 280,000 visitors between January 27, 2023, and January 28, 2024.^[100][101]

On premiere day, January 8, 2023, lead actor Jun Matsumoto completed the Tokai Premier Relay, traveling across Shizuoka, Hamamatsu, and Okazaki in a single day to attend public screenings and live talk shows with regional audiences.^{[102][103][104][105]}

Transportation Campaigns and Festivals

Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) organized a major promotional campaign titled Doko Iku Ieyasu, operating designated special express trains, hosting Sawayaka Walking tours, and installing commemorative statues of Oda Nobunaga and Imagawa Yoshimoto at Nagoya Station alongside dedicated tourism information centers.^{[106][107][108][109]} Nagoya Railroad (Meitetsu) launched bundled travel packages and decorated Higashi-Okazaki Station with hollyhock crest station signage.^[110] Regional railway operators, including Tenryu Hamanako Railroad and Enshu Railway, deployed wrapped trains featuring drama branding and installed ceremonial Lord's Seats cushioned with gold hollyhock emblems.^[111][112] Bento purveyor Tokaiken offered exclusive commemorative Suruga Gozen meal sets at Shizuoka Station.^[113]

In Kyoto, the 57th Winter Journey destination campaign highlighted non-public cultural treasures linked to the drama.^[114] In Tokyo, Chiyoda Ward created specialized tourist materials and merchandise featuring its mascot Rilakkuma dressed as Tokugawa Ieyasu.^[115]

Cast members participated in several traditional city festivals in full costume. On April 1, 2023, Junpei Mizobata took part in the Shizuoka Festival parade as Imagawa Ujizane.^[116] On May 5, Jun Matsumoto, Rihito Itagaki, Dai Okabe, and Masahiro Komoto participated on horseback in the Hamamatsu Festival cavalry warrior procession.^[117] On October 28, Yamada Yuki, Sugino Yosuke, Rihito Itagaki, and Keiko Kitagawa led the autumnal Ieyasu Procession in Okazaki, an event streamed live to national audiences.^[118][119]

Merchandise and Home Media

Victor Entertainment released the original soundtrack across three volumes in February, June, and October 2023. NHK Publishing issued official guides in three volumes alongside a dedicated historical handbook, four volumes of a novelization penned by Fuyu Kimata based on Kosawa's scripts, and an official piano solo score collection.

The complete series was released on Blu-ray and DVD box sets by NHK Enterprises across four volumes between July 2023 and March 2024, followed by a standalone DVD release of the four-part omnibus special in May 2024.

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30. “「どうする家康」馬のCGのひどさに馬術指導者も「少し残念」 「松潤が馬に乗れない」説はデマ（全文）”. デイリー新潮 (2023年1月25日). 2023年12月20日閲覧。
31. “タイトルバックが最終形に！”. どうする家康. コラム. NHK (2023年9月17日). 2023年10月27日時点のオリジナルよりアーカイブ。2023年10月27日閲覧。
32. “第44回だけのスペシャル・エディション！ テーマ音楽＆タイトルバック特別版”. どうする家康. コラム. NHK (2023年11月19日). 2023年11月20日時点のオリジナルよりアーカイブ。2023年11月20日閲覧。
33. 「寺島しのぶ、23年大河「どうする家康」の語り担当 制作統括の磯智明氏は「“中の人”にピッタリ」と意味深コメント」『サンスポ』産経デジタル、2022年12月9日。2022年12月9日閲覧。
34. "「どうする家康」のレズビアン側室に時代考証を務めた専門家は「脚本を読んで驚いた」". Daily Shincho. 2023-04-01. pp. 1–2. Retrieved 2025-11-12.
35. Shiba Hiroyuki (2023-12-11). "どうする家康 ついに最終回…最新の研究成果はどこまで生かされたか 時代考証に聞く＜下＞" ["Dousuru Ieyasu" Finally Reaches Its Finale... How Much of the Latest Research Findings Were Incorporated? Hearing from the Historical Advisor <Part 2>]. 読売新聞オンライン (in Japanese). Retrieved 2025-11-28.
36. 2023年の大河ドラマは徳川家康 松本潤さんが主演. 朝日新聞. 2021-01-19 [2021-01-19]. （原始内容存档于2022-05-17）.
37. 「NHK、4月からBS4K放送拡充。「どうする家康」最速放送も」『AV Watch』インプレス、2023年3月16日。2023年5月14日閲覧。
38. “来年大河『どうする家康』東海先行ビジュアルを初公開 松本潤「自分の感情にも揺らぎを感じながら…」”. ORICON NEWS. oricon ME (2022年10月30日). 2022年10月30日閲覧。
39. “「どうする家康」4・9放送休止＆4・23繰り下げ 統一地方選の影響 放送枠増4・16BS4K放送開始”. スポーツニッポン (2023年3月15日). 2023年3月16日閲覧。
40. “大河「どうする家康」9・10は放送休止 第35話は翌週9・17 ラグビーW杯・日本初戦チリ戦に伴い”. スポーツニッポン (2023年7月26日). 2023年9月10日閲覧。
41. “大河ドラマ「どうする家康」総集編 放送決定！”. どうする家康. 関連情報. NHK (2023年12月10日). 2023年12月29日時点のオリジナルよりアーカイブ。2023年12月30日閲覧。
42. “今年の紀行は「どうする家康ツアーズ」”. MANTANWEB（まんたんウェブ）. MANTAN. 2023年1月8日. 2023年10月17日閲覧.
43. “【どうする家康】最終回視聴率１２・３％ 期間平均は歴代ワースト２位の１１・２％”. スポーツ報知. 報知新聞社 (2023年12月18日). 2023年12月18日閲覧。
44. ““どうする松本潤”徳川家康の人生は絶体絶命！ピンチの連続！？”. NHK_PR. NHK (2022年3月17日). 2022年3月26日閲覧。
45. “松本潤が家康の趣味に体当たり？ どうする？”. NHK_PR. NHK (2022年9月6日). 2022年9月10日閲覧。
46. “来年の大河ドラマ“どうする家康”愛知でクランクイン!SP”. 東海 ドまんなか!. NHK. 2022年6月26日閲覧。
47. 「「どうする家康」松本潤＆家臣団が大集結！「ウラ話トークSP」27日東海4県向け放送、NHKプラスで見逃し配信」『中日スポーツ』中日新聞社、2023年1月25日。2023年6月19日閲覧。
48. “「どうする家康」松本潤&家臣団が大集結!ウラ話トークSP”. 東海 ドまんなか!. NHK. 2023年6月20日閲覧。
49. “東海 ドまんなか！【「どうする家康」松本潤＆家臣団が大集結！ウラ話トークSP】”. TVでた蔵. ワイヤーアクション. 2023年6月20日閲覧。
50. “エピソード”. ブラタモリ. NHK. 2023年8月15日閲覧。
51. “エピソード”. 先人たちの底力 知恵泉. NHK. 2023年12月10日閲覧。
52. ““さる知恵にあらず” 天下人秀吉の交渉術”. 先人たちの底力 知恵泉. NHK. 2023年6月6日閲覧。
53. ““たぬきも納得” 天下人家康の交渉術”. 先人たちの底力 知恵泉. 日NHK. 2023年6月6日閲覧。
54. “出張スペシャル 徳川軍団 最強の秘密”. 先人たちの底力 知恵泉. NHK. 2023年6月6日閲覧。
55. “家康をつくった“三方ヶ原の戦い” 失敗こそ成功への指針”. 先人たちの底力 知恵泉. NHK. 2023年6月6日閲覧。
56. “今川氏真の生き残り術 敗北からの復活劇”. 先人たちの底力 知恵泉. NHK. 2023年8月24日閲覧。
57. “今川氏真の生き残り術 華麗なる転身 再び表舞台へ”. 先人たちの底力 知恵泉. NHK. 2023年9月7日閲覧。
58. “その転職 スジはあるか? 石川数正”. 先人たちの底力 知恵泉. NHK. 2023年12月10日閲覧。
59. “エピソード”. 歴史探偵. NHK. 2023年6月29日閲覧。
60. “歴史探偵”. TVでた蔵. ワイヤーアクション. 2023年6月29日閲覧。
61. “歴史探偵「戦略家 今川義元」”. TVでた蔵. ワイヤーアクション. 2023年6月29日閲覧。
62. “歴史探偵 徳川四天王”. TVでた蔵. ワイヤーアクション. 2023年6月29日閲覧。
63. “NHK総合 歴史探偵「長篠の戦い」2023年6月14日(水)16:15-17:00”. 古市研究室. 日本大学. 2023年6月20日閲覧。
64. “歴史探偵「家康VS.秀吉 どうする家康コラボスペシャル（前編）」”. TVでた蔵. ワイヤーアクション. 2023年8月24日閲覧。
65. “歴史探偵「家康VS.秀吉 どうする家康コラボスペシャル（後編）」”. TVでた蔵. ワイヤーアクション. 2023年9月7日閲覧。
66. “戦国大名 徳川家康”. 偉人の年収 How much?. NHK. 2023年6月3日閲覧。
67. “戦国大名 織田信長”. 偉人の年収 How much?. NHK. 2023年7月5日閲覧。
68. “戦国武将 豊臣秀吉”. 偉人の年収 How much?. NHK. 2023年11月14日閲覧。
69. “エピソード”. 英雄たちの選択. NHK. 2023年5月11日閲覧。
70. “『どうする家康』 ▽ゲスト 松本潤”. 土スタ. NHK. 2023年6月29日閲覧。
71. “『どうする家康』特集 ▽ゲスト 大森南朋”. 土スタ. NHK. 2023年6月29日閲覧。
72. “『どうする家康』特集 ▽ゲスト 有村架純 久保史緒里”. 土スタ. NHK. 2023年6月29日閲覧。
73. “『どうする家康』特集 ▽ゲスト 岡田准一”. 土スタ. NHK. 2023年7月25日閲覧。
74. “『どうする家康』特集 ▽ゲスト 山田裕貴”. 土スタ. NHK. 2023年9月24日閲覧。
75. “今夜放送「100カメ」でアクションチーム特集、大河ドラマ「どうする家康」の撮影にも潜入”. 映画ナタリー. ナターシャ (2023年5月16日). 2023年5月16日閲覧。
76. “聴き逃し番組を探す ラジオ深夜便 もっと、どうする家康”. NHKネットラジオ らじる★らじる. NHK. 2023年12月17日閲覧。
77. “松本潤、NHK大河「どうする家康」初回15・４％発進／近年の大河初回視聴率一覧 - ドラマ : 日刊スポーツ”. nikkansports.com. 2023年12月18日閲覧。
78. "NHK大河「どうする家康」第10話視聴率7・2％ WBC裏で前回から4・6Pダウンで1ケタ台". Sports Hochi. 13 March 2023. Archived from the original on 13 March 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
79. "『どうする家康』最終回12.3% 全48回平均は11.2%". Oricon. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
80. “【どうする家康】最終回視聴率１２・３％ 期間平均は歴代ワースト２位の１１・２％（スポーツ報知）”. Yahoo!ニュース. 2023年12月18日時点のオリジナルよりアーカイブ。2023年12月26日閲覧。
81. Kenshiro Kawanishi (川西賢志郎) (2015). "視聴率歴代ワースト２を記録した「どうする家康」 歴史学者が解説するウソとホント". Sankei Shinbun online (in Japanese). The Sankei Shimbun. Archived from the original on 15 June 2024. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
82. “「どうする家康」総合視聴率17・7％は前作「鎌倉殿」下回るも…録画7・1％は前々作「青天」上回る（スポニチアネックス）”. Yahoo!ニュース. 2023年12月26日閲覧。
83. INC, SANKEI DIGITAL (2023年12月18日). “「どうする家康」見逃し配信では歴代最高視聴数に ＮＨＫ発表”. 産経ニュース. 2023年12月20日閲覧。
84. “『どうする家康』に早くも“反省会タグ”出現…CG、演出にツッコミ続出で懸念される“朝ドラの二の舞””. 女性自身. 2023年12月18日閲覧。
85. “「#どうする家康反省会」トレンド入り、最終回ラストの「えびすくい」に書き込み多数（日刊スポーツ）”. Yahoo!ニュース. 2023年12月18日時点のオリジナルよりアーカイブ。2023年12月22日閲覧。
86. “「武田騎馬隊のCGひどすぎ」「馬に優しい撮影」 NHK「どうする家康」合戦シーン演出に賛否”. ライブドアニュース. 2023年12月20日閲覧。
87. “【どうする家康】ＣＧ多用＆高速展開の“新しい大河”に賛否「試みは良かった」「乗馬シーンに違和感」”. スポーツ報知 (2023年1月9日). 2023年12月20日閲覧。
88. 渡辺彰浩 (2023年12月3日). “『どうする家康』は“史実を守った”ドラマ？ 脚本・古沢良太が明かす最終回に込めた思い”. リアルサウンド映画部. 2023年12月18日閲覧。
89. “「史実からかけ離れたファンタジー」なのか？繰り返される大河ドラマの史実問題…それでも『どうする家康』が“ナシ”とは言い切れない理由（木村 隆志） @moneygendai”. マネー現代 (2023年7月7日). 2023年12月20日閲覧。
90. "「どうする家康」が失敗した最大の原因…松潤じゃなく北川景子が主役なら名作大河になれた？" [The Biggest Reason "What to Do About Ieyasu" Failed... Would It Have Become a Masterpiece Taiga Drama if Kitagawa Keiko, Not Matsujun, Was the Protagonist?]. ダイヤモンド・オンライン (in Japanese). 2023-12-27. Retrieved 2025-11-28.
91. “視聴率は歴代ワースト2…「どうする家康」に視聴者が最後まで感じた違和感の正体（デイリー新潮）”. Yahoo!ニュース. 2023年12月27日閲覧。
92. 「来年の大河「どうする家康」で注目の岡崎市、携帯ビッグデータ活用で取り組む「3つの課題」」『ASCII.jp』角川アスキー総合研究所、2022年3月18日。2022年8月12日閲覧。
93. 「どうする家康 大河ドラマ館着工 浜松市、23年1月開館目指す」『あなたの静岡新聞』静岡新聞社・静岡放送、2022年4月16日。2022年8月12日閲覧。
94. 「静岡市「どうする家康」大河ドラマ館開設へ 2023年、閉館の市文化財資料館建物を活用」『あなたの静岡新聞』静岡新聞社・静岡放送、2021年12月23日。2022年8月12日閲覧。
95. “【2023年1月21日オープン予定】大河ドラマ館の開催期間・料金などの基本情報”. 岡崎市 (2022年8月19日). 2022年8月31日閲覧。
96. “德川家広氏が「三河武士のやかた家康館」の2代目名誉館長に就任します。”. 岡崎市 (2022年12月19日). 2022年12月22日閲覧。
97. 「浜松大河ドラマ館 ６４万３１４人来場 岡崎と静岡を上回る見通し」『あなたの静岡新聞』静岡新聞社・静岡放送、2024年1月16日。2024年1月16日閲覧。
98. “大河ドラマ館の名称及びオープン日の決定について” (PDF). 浜松市 産業部 観光・シティプロモーション課 (2022年9月26日). 2022年10月30日閲覧。
99. 大平要「浜松城下に大河ドラマ館着工 来年放送「どうする家康」盛り上げへ」『朝日新聞デジタル』朝日新聞社、2022年4月16日。2022年4月16日閲覧。
100. “「どうする家康」静岡市大河ドラマ館 来年1月27日オープン”. 静岡 NEWS WEB. NHK (2022年8月21日). 2022年8月31日閲覧。
101. 「「家康」大河ドラマ館 静岡の来館者数、どうして浜松・岡崎の半分？」『朝日新聞デジタル』朝日新聞社、2024年2月22日。2024年2月22日閲覧。
102. 「「どうする家康」初回1・8の松本潤登壇PVイベント 岡崎市は196倍！キムタク信長行列64倍上回る」『Sponichi Annex』スポーツニッポン新聞社、2022年12月13日。2022年12月13日閲覧。
103. 「松本潤×山田裕貴×杉野遥亮、駿府城跡を来訪 『どうする家康』東海プレミアリレー」『リアルサウンド』blueprint、2023年1月8日。2023年1月8日閲覧。
104. 「『どうする家康』松本潤、天下取り第一歩の浜松で出陣式 「『殿』って書いてあるうちわがたくさんある！」」『中日スポーツ・東京中日スポーツ』中日新聞社、2023年1月8日。2023年1月8日閲覧。
105. 「松本潤が愛知・岡崎城を訪問 大勢のファン駆けつけ、急きょ警察が出動する事態に」『サンスポ』産経デジタル、2023年1月8日。2023年1月8日閲覧。
106. どこ行く家康 JR東海
107. ＮＨＫ大河で注目の織田信長・今川義元像、名古屋駅にそろって見参 読売新聞 2023年1月14日
108. 愛知県、JR名古屋駅に「家康ゆかりの地 インフォメーションセンター」。武将観光スポット情報を発信 トラベルwatch 2023年1月18日
109. さわやかウォーキング>どこ行く家康コース JR東海
110. 「「どうする家康 岡崎 大河ドラマ館」開館に合わせ 岡崎市とタイアップした企画を実施します」(PDF)、名古屋鉄道、2023年1月11日。2024年1月11日閲覧。
111. ラッピング列車「どうする家康号」出発！！ 天竜浜名湖鉄道 2023年1月10日
112. newラッピング電車登場！〜家康公ゆかりの地 浜松〜 遠州鉄道 2023年1月20日
113. 見て食べて味わう「家康」 東海軒、大河前に新作弁当 中日新聞 2022年12月2日
114. 第57回 京の冬の旅 JRおでかけネット（JR西日本）
115. 『【特別企画！千代田区×徳川家康 第1弾】1/25（水）から徳川家康特集サイト公開！江戸城下の家康ゆかりの地9カ所を紹介！』（プレスリリース）一般社団法人千代田区観光協会、2023年1月25日。https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000054.000064048.html。2023年5月5日閲覧。
116. “「どうする家康」今川氏真役・溝端淳平さん 静岡まつりに登場”. 静岡 NEWS WEB. NHK静岡放送局 (2023年4月1日). 2023年4月6日閲覧。
117. 「松本潤「浜松まつり」騎馬武者行列で「殿〜」と歓声浴び「うれし恥ずかし初めての経験でした」」『日刊スポーツNEWS』日刊スポーツ、2023年5月5日。2023年5月5日閲覧。
118. “山田裕貴・杉野遥亮・板垣李光人・北川景子「家康行列」参加で7000人にお手振り”. モデルプレス. ネットネイティブ (2023年10月28日). 2023年10月28日閲覧。
119. 「「どうする家康」北川景子 声援に「何発も」茶々の銃シーン再現！観覧倍率6倍 沿道興奮の岡崎・家康行列」『スポニチアネックス』スポーツニッポン新聞社、2023年10月28日。2023年10月28日閲覧。