The new cast for the NHK Asadora drama "Kaze,Kaoru, " starring Ai Mikami and Juri Kosaka , which will air in the first half of 2026, has been announced on the official NHK drama website (＠nhk_dramas), and it has been revealed that Shoya Sano from the popular group " Ae! group" will appear. He will play Shimada Kenjiro, a confidant of one of the main characters, Ichinose Rin (played by Mikami). This will be Sano's first appearance in a Asadora.
Kenjiro Shimada has a deep knowledge of new words and foreign languages, and becomes a good confidant for Rin.
Sano expressed his joy, saying, "Ever since the formation of AAe! group, the group I belong to, six years ago, my grandmother has been pressing me, asking, 'When are you going to appear in a Asadora?' She's now saying, 'Grandma, Mae is going to appear in a Asadora !' I'm glad my wish has come true. I'm able to be a good son to my parents and grandma. I'm truly honored to be able to appear in ' Kaze,Kaoru ', a Asadora that has been loved by so many people for so many years."
Regarding the role he will be playing, he commented, "Shimaken, who lives strongly through the turbulent Meiji era, is a character that symbolizes the times. I would like to approach the production cherishing every moment, so that not even the slightest bit of hope is overflowing and so that a warm breeze will blow into everyone's mornings."
" 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, they struggle with how to interact with patients and doctors, and grow together through clashes, eventually becoming the "strongest buddy." Uesaka plays the other protagonist, Oya Naomi.
