Ai Mikami appears at the press conference for the start of filming of "Kaze,Kaoru"

On September 14th, actress Ai Mikami held a press conference at Daioji Temple ( Asadora, Tochigi Prefecture) to announce the start of filming for the NHK morning drama "Kaze,Kaoru, " in which she co-stars with Juri Kosaka, which will air in the first half of 2026. Mikami, who plays one of the main characters, Rin Ichinose, began filming on September 8th. On the day of the start of filming, Uesaka, who plays the other main character, Naomi Oya, also rushed over to the scene. "Even though I didn't have any scenes to film, she made the effort to come and watch the start of filming with me, which made me really happy and encouraged me," she said with a smile.

It has been raining continuously since filming began, but he said, "At times like that, everyone tends to get a little down, but that's not the case on this set. Even when it rains, everyone works enthusiastically, and I said in a previous press conference that I wanted to create a set with a good atmosphere, a warm set, and everyone is concerned about that, and I can tell from everyone that they are trying to create that kind of environment, so filming is a lot of fun."

Filming has now begun, and will last for about a year, but he said, "I think a lot can happen in a year, but these past few days have given me a sense of security that we are all friends who can overcome anything that happens, so I am now certain that we will be able to film in a very cheerful manner for the whole year."

On this day, they filmed a scene that is scheduled to air in the first week. Rin visits the temple grounds with her family, which are bustling with festival music and stalls. Rin's childhood friend, Torataro Takeuchi (Toranosuke Kobayashi), also joins them, and everyone enjoys the festival...

Mikami reflected, "Today we were shooting a lively festival scene, and the weather was on our side, with a beautiful sunny day, so I think this was the height of happiness, a warm moment for everyone, and I think we were able to capture some wonderful scenes."

" 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."