It was revealed on January 24th that the title of the NHK Asadora drama for the first half of 2026 will be "Kaze, Kaoru" (Wind, Fragrance), and that actress Ai Mikami will play the lead role. The script is by Tomoko Yoshizawa. The announcement was made at a press conference held at the station in Shibuya, Tokyo on the same day.
The 114th serial TV drama, "Kaze, Kaoru" is set in the Meiji era and is a buddy drama about two trained nurses, Ozeki Chika and Suzuki Masa. The two graduated from the same nursing school, they struggle with how to deal with patients and doctors, and grow while clashing with each other, eventually becoming the "strongest buddy".
Mikami will play one of the main characters, Ichinose Rin, while the other main character, Ooya Naomi, will be chosen through an audition. The script will be written by Yoshizawa, who has worked on dramas such as "Lucky Person," "Dr. DMAT," "I Don't Love You That Much," and "A Story to Read on the Day I Fall in Love for the First Time," and Takehiro Matsuzono, who was in charge of last year's taiga drama "To Dear Radiance (Hikaru Kimi e)," will serve as production supervisor.
While the story is based on real people, it has been boldly reconstructed as a tale of two nurses and their companions' ups and downs in a turbulent era. Some of the names of characters and organizations have been changed, making it a fictional story.
Mikami was born on October 26, 2000, and is 24 years old and from Tokyo. He made his acting debut in 2019, and in 2020, he made his first regular appearance in a serial drama in "Love Lasts Forever" (TBS). In 2021, he co-starred with Yuki Kura in the movie "Impulse", which was his first lead role in a movie. In last year's taiga drama "To Dear Radiance (Hikaru Kimi e)", he played one of the key characters, Fujiwara Akiko, to great effect. He is currently appearing in the Fuji TV "Monday 9" drama "119 Emergency Call" in January, and will appear in the NHK drama "Honest Real Estate Minerva Special" to be broadcast in February.
The Asadora currently being broadcast is " Omusubi " starring Kanna Hashimoto . In the first half of 2025, " Anpan " starring Mio Imada will be broadcast, and in the second half of 2025, " Bakebake " starring Akari Takaishi will be broadcast.
