The new cast for the NHK morning drama "Kaze, Kaoru," starring Ai Mikami and Juri Uesaka, which will air in the first half of 2026, has been announced on the drama's official account (@asadora_nhk), and it has been revealed that actor Genri will appear in the role of Matsui Ei, the dormitory supervisor and interpreter at the training center.
Ei, played by Genri, was an English teacher at a girls' school, but was suddenly asked by the principal to become the dormitory supervisor and interpreter at the training school. She spends her days bewildered by the strong personalities of the students.
Genri said, "Although Matsui-sensei has no knowledge of nursing, she finds a connection with the Christian spirit she believes in as she spends time with nursing school students every day, and I am impressed by the way she quietly takes on the world together with them as a working woman, which was still very rare at the time. Although not all of the characters in this drama are people who have left their mark on history, I also realize that it is because women like Matsui-sensei existed, somewhere, that we are able to do what we love for a living. I would like to play the role carefully and with care."
This is her first appearance in a morning drama since "Manpuku" (2018 fall season), and she commented, "We filmed at the bustling NHK Osaka Broadcasting Station, and had a great time working with my male seniors.This time, I'm surrounded by female students at the NHK Broadcasting Center in Tokyo, and I'm getting energy from them."
"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, but struggle with how to interact with patients and doctors, and grow through clashes, eventually becoming the "strongest buddy." Migami plays the lead role of Ichinose Rin, while Uesaka plays Oya Naomi.
