Ikusaburo Yamazaki：In "The Travel Nurse," she plays a clean "biggest enemy" and co-stars with Masaki Okada for the first time in six years

It has been revealed that actor Ikusaburo Yamazaki will be appearing in the drama series "The Travel Nurse" (TV Asahi, Thursdays 9pm) starring Masaki Okada, which will begin airing in October. He will play Taku Yakushimaru, the new director of the flagship hospital "Nishitokyo General Hospital" who stands in the way of Ayumu (Okada) and Shizuka (Nakai Kiichi) as their greatest enemy.

The drama is an original work by Miho Nakazono, who is known for the popular medical drama series "Doctor-X: Surgeon Michiko Daimon" (TV Asahi). The story depicts Ayumu Nasuda (Okada), a freelance "travel nurse" who holds the nursing qualification "nurse practitioner" to perform certain medical procedures, and Shizuka Kuki (Nakai), a skilled "super nurse," who despite their differences, join hands to reform the medical field with a patient-first approach.

In the sequel, the two take on a new battle in an increasingly chaotic world where doctors are in danger, with a chronic shortage of doctors and severe restrictions on overtime hours due to work style reforms. The setting is Nishitokyo General Hospital, a flagship hospital that has long played a central role in regional medical care. Following the revelation of corruption by the previous director, the clean, young, charismatic new director, Yakushimaru Taku, who advocates "correct medical care and correct work methods," becomes the pair's new "enemy."

Yakushimaru, played by Yamazaki, is a savior for the increasingly chaotic Japanese medical world as the waves of work style reforms surge in. However, despite his calm demeanor, he is also absolutely confident in his own judgment and is quick to cut off anyone who goes against his will. Yamazaki, who plays a character who will be at odds with the "ultra-quirky nurse duo" Ayumu and Shizuka, said, "Yakushimaru is an icy person, but she has a burning fire inside her. I want to be a character who stirs up everyone and invades the story."

This will be the first time Okada and Yamazaki have worked together in six years since they played rival storytellers in "Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju" (NHK, 2018). Okada commented, "Ikku (Yamazaki) and I know each other's personalities very well. I think I can really pour my passion into him." Yamazaki also shared, "I was very happy to be able to meet and work with Mark (Okada), who I still feel is a 'comrade in arms,' and I'm still excited now that filming has started. I want to pour my passion into Mark."

"The Travel Nurse" airs on TV Asahi on Thursdays from 9pm. The first episode, airing on October 17th, will be an extended special and will air from 9pm to 10pm.