NHK asadora 'Kaze, Kaoru' episode 91: Nurse responds to dysentery outbreak

In episode 91 of NHK's morning drama series "Kaze, Kaoru" (Wind, Fragrant), which aired on August 3, 2026, protagonist Rin, a trained nurse working in Niigata, is informed by physician Kurokawa that dysentery has broken out in a nearby village. Kurokawa asks Rin to accompany him to assist with the outbreak response. Despite initial hesitation, Rin agrees and travels with Kurokawa to the affected village. Upon arrival, they encounter significant obstacles: villagers fear the isolation hospital (avebyo) and refuse to accept nursing care or medical treatment, complicating efforts to contain and treat the disease.

The episode continues the dual-protagonist narrative of "Kaze, Kaoru," which follows Rin (played by Ai Mikami) and Naomi (played by Juri Uesaka), two trained nurses (Trained Nurses) who graduated from the same nursing school. The series, now in its 19th week titled "Reimei no Tsubasa" (Wings of Dawn), explores how these two women with contrasting approaches navigate Meiji-era medical practice and social resistance to professional nursing. The drama is based on the lives of historical figures Oooseki Chika and Suzuki Masa, pioneering trained nurses who established formal nursing practices during Japan's rapid modernization.

Previously, episode 89 showed Rin's student falling ill during class, while Naomi faced challenges in securing clients for her newly established nursing dispatch service. Episode 90 depicted a reunion in Niigata where Naomi, colleague Shimaken, and Tamaki visit Rin, unexpectedly joined by character Yokosawa. These episodes set the stage for the current crisis, where the protagonists must confront both infectious disease and deeply rooted community distrust of modern medical institutions.