Ai Mikami appears at the "Kaze,Kaoru" crank-in press conference and is excited about rehearsals

On September 14th, actress Ai Mikami attended the press conference held at Daioji Temple (Otawara City, Tochigi Prefecture) for the start of filming of the NHK morning drama " Kaze,Kaoru, " which she will co-star in alongside Juri Kosaka and will air in the first half of 2026. Mikami, who plays one of the main characters, Ichinose Rin, said she has been practicing various things such as singing and calligraphy, and commented, "It made me feel the same way I did when I was a student."

At the press conference announcing her casting in January, Mikami shed tears of joy. During the six-month preparation period, she underwent various trainings, including calligraphy, samurai etiquette, Tochigi dialect, naginata katana, and singing.

Despite her busy schedule, there were days when she practiced from morning until night, and she smiles, saying, "We practiced like we were at school, for about six periods a day. When I came in the morning, I would first greet everyone and then we had a morning assembly where we asked questions about the script, and everyone would say things like, 'The first period is music class,' so I was able to get really excited and get to work."

Mikami said that when she was a student, she took a variety of lessons, including calligraphy, swimming, ballet, and eurhythmics. "I loved taking lessons and did a lot of them, so it reminded me of those days. I felt the same way as when I was a student, like I wanted to practice so that I wouldn't be told the same thing at the next lesson after being told the same thing once," she said.

Filming began on September 8th, starting with a singing scene. "It's a Meiji era song, so the pitch was quite difficult, and I had a hard time getting it right when we were setting up the stage. I managed to practice with my teacher before the actual shoot, and started off with enthusiasm, thinking, 'I'll definitely get it OK on the first try!'" he recalled.

Chief Producer Matsuzono Takehiro, who is in charge of production, was impressed with the rehearsals between Mikami and Uesaka, who plays the other main character, Ooya Naomi, saying, "They are so focused that they don't even need a break, and if they come up with a problem, they practice it at home so they can be sure to have it done by the next rehearsal. I feel that their enthusiasm for their roles and the way they approach them are incredible."

" 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."