Shōgun

Toranaga's second in command, Toda Hiromatsu is a hardened general who has, at his age, truly seen it all. 

Hiromatsu may appear gruff and stoic to an outsider, but he has a deep affection for those close to him. His relationship with Toranaga is a private exchange of quips and barbs, and he can't help his fondness for his favorite granddaughter, Fuji.&nbsp;Grandfather and granddaughter are equal parts straight-forward, proud, and honor-driven. Wishing her to be close to him, Hiromatsu arranged an illustrious match for Fuji, marrying her to one of Toranaga's personal guards.However, Hiromatsu's relationship with his violent son, Buntaro, is strained. Though the two powerful warlords share a cold respect, their connection ends there.Hiromatsu will soon find his steadfast guidance tested as Toranaga is forced to take on new, less trustworthy allies.

The historical model for Toda Hiromatsu is Hosokawa Fujitaka. Although Hiromatsu in Shōgun is a longtime vassal and karō (the highest position among vassals, presiding over clan affairs) of Toranaga, Fujitaka was originally a vassal of the fugitive Shōgun Ashikaga Yoshiaki. However, when Yoshiaki and Oda Nobunaga (Kuroda in Shōgun) came into conflict, Fujitaka switched sides and became a vassal of Nobunaga.He fought many battles for Nobunaga, often in cooperation with Akechi Mitsuhide (Akechi Jinsai in Shōgun), another of Nobunaga's generals who was formerly under Yoshiaki. In one of his letters, Nobunaga praised Fujitaka as a man of pen and sword. Fujitaka mastered martial arts such as swordsmanship and archery, as well as poetry, the tea ceremony, knowledge of the classics, and other arts.&nbsp;

He was highly esteemed as a cultural figure by the imperial court and respected by friend and foe alike. On Nobunaga's recommendation, Fujitaka's eldest son, Tadaoki, and Mitsuhide's daughter, Tama, were married in 1578.

Originally lord of Nagaoka, a small fief near Kyoto, he conquered the much larger Tango province north of Kyoto. His achievements were recognized by Nobunaga and he became lord of Tango. However, when Nobunaga was killed in the Honnōji incident in 1582, Fujitaka gave his fief to his son Tadaoki and retired to Buddhism to mourn his lord.

After his retirement, Hideyoshi (the Taikō) made him one of his trusted vassals and gave him a new fief near Kyoto. Fujitaka participated in several of Hideyoshi's battles and acted as a special envoy during negotiations. When Hideyoshi died, Fujitaka became a vassal of Tokugawa Ieyasu (Toranaga in Shōgun).

Every legend begins with a story.&nbsp;Explore the vision and artistry behind FX's Shōgun's groundbreaking series. Join host and staff writer Emily Yoshida as she sits down with the creators, cast, and crew that brought Sengoku Era Japan to life.

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Hiromatsu is Toranaga's conscience, his most experienced advisor, and, above all, his friend.

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