The new cast for the NHK morning drama "Kaze, Kaoru," starring Ai Mikami and Juri Uesaka, which will air in the first half of 2026, has been announced on NHK Drama's official website (@nhk_dramas). The cast members announced this time are the people Rin (Mikami) and Naomi (Uesaka) meet at Teito Medical University Hospital where they are doing their nursing training, and include Yudai Furukawa, Ryotaro Sakaguchi, Seizo Hirano, Kanro Morita, Tsubaki Nekobe, Kazuki Iio, Tokihide Wakabayashi, Honoka Murakami, Ayaka Higashino, Jiro from the comedy duo "Sisonne," Yoshihiro Nozoe, Michitaka Tsutsui, and Yukie Nakama. This will be Wakabayashi and Murakami's first appearance in a morning drama.
Furukawa plays Imai Masuo, a professor of surgery at Teito Medical University Hospital. He is a top elite who has just returned from studying in Germany.
Sakaguchi plays Kunio Fujita, an assistant professor of surgery at Teito Medical University Hospital. He is often at odds with Rin and the others.
Hirano plays Kurokawa Katsuji, an assistant in the surgery department at Teito Medical University Hospital. He calmly watches over Rin and the other nurses' work.
Morita plays Yukinari Watanabe, the vice-director of Teito Medical University Hospital. He is skilled in administrative matters and has a strong sense of responsibility for protecting the hospital.
Nekobe plays Nagata Fuyu, a nurse at Teito Medical University Hospital (a traditional nurse who has been working at the hospital since before the trained nurses were introduced, and has no specialized training). She also assists during surgeries and is a first-class nurse.
Iio plays Shibata Bansaku, a janitor at Teito Medical University Hospital. He is one of the few people in the hospital that Rin and the others can rely on.
Wakabayashi plays Chuzo Maruyama, a patient whom Naomi takes care of during her internship. After spending time in hospital, he becomes interested in food.
Murakami plays Yuunagi, a prostitute who is brought to Teito Medical University Hospital after a failed double suicide attempt.
Higashino plays Tsuya Miura, a nurse at Teito Medical University Hospital. She works in the gynecology department, but she doesn't like children.
Jiro plays Nagata Kosuke, the husband of nurse Fuyu, who is forced to stay indoors due to certain circumstances.
Nozoe plays Yaichiro Sonobe, the first patient Rin takes on during her internship. He is well-known within the hospital for being difficult to communicate with.
Tsutsui plays Tada Jutaro, the director of Teito Medical University Hospital. He seems to have a certain understanding of "nursing," but his true intentions are unclear.
Nakama plays Izumi Chikako, a patient of the Marquise's who Rin will be taking care of. She has closed her heart due to certain circumstances.
"Kaze, Kaoru" is the 114th serial TV drama. Set in the Meiji era, it is a buddy drama featuring two trained nurses, Ozeki Chika and Suzuki Masa, as its two protagonists. The two graduated from the same nursing school, but struggle with how to interact with patients and doctors, and grow through clashes, eventually becoming the "strongest buddy." Migami plays the lead role of Ichinose Rin, while Uesaka plays Oya Naomi.
◇Comment from Production Supervisor and Chief Producer Takehiro Matsuzono
Rin, Naomi and the others study nursing with their own thoughts in mind, but in an era when "nursing" itself is still unknown, it is not easy to gain understanding. When they visit the hospital for their training, they immediately witness the harshness of nursing. The people introduced in this article are hospital staff and patients who have a major impact on the protagonists in this situation.
Hospital management and doctors who carry the future of Japanese healthcare on their shoulders. Nurses who have been working on the front lines before Rin and the others. And patients who have each been hurt. Rin and Naomi are about to embark on a life of worry and dedication. There is only one month left until the broadcast begins. Please watch over them kindly.
