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 kabuki actor Yajuro Bando will be appearing. He will play Shimizu Usaburo, who runs the Mizuhoya restaurant. This will be Yajuro's first appearance in a Asadora.
Shimizu Usaburo runs Mizuhoya, a shop in Nihonbashi that sells a wide range of imported goods. He becomes deeply involved with the protagonists, Ichinose Rin (Mikami) and Oya Naomi (Uesaka).
Yajuro said, "This is my first time appearing in a Asadora. I often watch it while having breakfast with my family, and I couldn't wait for the next day every day."
"After reading the script, I became very interested in the character Shimizu Usaburo, who lived during the Meiji era. He will have his own unique thoughts as he reads the changes of the times, and will convey these to the main characters in a unique way. I'm excited about this," he commented.
"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. The two graduated from the same nursing school, but struggle with how to interact with patients and doctors, and grow as they clash, eventually becoming the "strongest buddy."
