NHK's premium drama "In the Town Where Forget-Me-Nots Bloom ~Azumino Medical Records~" (BS, Sundays at 10 PM), starring actress Riko Fukumoto, will begin airing on June 28th. Set in a local hospital in Azumino, Shinshu, the drama depicts the lives of young medical professionals who work diligently while being forced to make the ultimate decision every day: whether to prolong life or preserve dignity.
The original work is a medical novel by Sosuke Natsukawa, known for works such as "God's Medical Chart." Natsukawa, who is still actively working on the front lines of community medicine and continues to write stories about life and death, has written a realistic medical account based on his own experiences.
Fukumoto plays Mikoto Tsukioka, a nurse who was born and raised in Matsumoto and is in her third year working at a hospital that supports local healthcare in Azumino. She is a hardworking, positive heroine who diligently builds upon what she can do, and is physically strong.
Other cast members in the drama include Shinki Sugo as Shotaro Katsura, a rookie intern whose trademark is his messy hair; Takashi Naito Naito as Joji Tanizaki, the hospital's only cardiologist; Mitsuru Fukikoshi as Seiichi Mishima, head of internal medicine and vice-director, and a gastroenterologist; Kaori Tsuchimura as Nao Otaki, the head nurse whom Mikoto relies on; and Yasuko Tomita as Satomi Tsukioka, Mikoto's cheerful mother who supports her daughter with her cooking. The music will be composed by Kotringo.
