# NHK morning drama Blossom casting announcements

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/nhk-morning-drama-blossom-casting-announcements
> Updated: 2026-09-10T02:29:40.000Z. Sources: 8. Developments: 3.

NHK has released successive casting announcements for its upcoming morning drama series, ‘Blossom’, which is scheduled to premiere on September 28. The series, written by Tsuyoshi Sakurai and starring Shizuka Ishibashi, is inspired by the life of writer Uno Chiyo. It follows the protagonist, Tamu Hayano, through the Meiji, Taisho, and Showa eras as she pursues a career as a novelist.

Initial casting updates for the Hokkaido segment included Kaoru Sugita as Namie Kimura, a supportive wife in Sapporo, and Hiroki Miyake as her husband, Seigo Kimura. The Tokyo segment features Hideki Kitano as literature enthusiast Ryota Sano and Junya Kawashima as Honda, a bookstore owner in Hongo.

Subsequent rounds introduced Kengo Kora as Kunosuke Akiyama, a character inspired by Ryunosuke Akutagawa; Himi Sato as Kiichiro Kajiya, a young genius writer; and Issey Ogata as Ushimaru Koyama, a translator of foreign literature. Most recently, Machiko Ono has been cast as Fuko Dobashi, a strong-willed popular writer modeled after the real-life author Nobuko Yoshiya, who serves as an inspiration to the protagonist.

## Claims

- NHK announced three new cast members for the morning drama Blossom. (corroborated by 4 sources)
- Kengo Kora will play Kunosuke Akiyama, a character modeled after Ryunosuke Akutagawa. (corroborated by 4 sources)
- Himi Sato will play Kiichiro Kajiya, a young genius writer. (corroborated by 4 sources)
- Issey Ogata will play Ushimaru Koyama, a translator of foreign literature. (corroborated by 4 sources)
- The drama Blossom is scheduled to begin broadcasting on September 28. (corroborated by 4 sources)
- Shizuka Ishibashi stars as the protagonist, Tamu Hayano. (corroborated by 4 sources)
- The series is based on the life of writer Un'yo Chiyo. (corroborated by 2 sources)

## Timeline

### 2026-09-10: Machiko Ono cast in NHK morning drama Blossom

Machiko Ono will play a prominent writer role in the 2026 NHK morning drama ‘Blossom’, a series inspired by the life of author Uno Chiyo.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/machiko-ono-cast-in-nhk-morning-drama-blossom

### 2026-08-27: NHK Blossom announces new cast members Kora, Sato, and Ogata

NHK announced Kengo Kora, Himi Sato, and Issey Ogata as new cast members for the upcoming morning drama Blossom, set to premiere on September 28.

5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/nhk-blossom-announces-new-cast-members-kora-sato-and-ogata

### 2026-08-20: NHK announces new cast for morning drama Blossom

NHK announced new cast members for its upcoming morning drama ‘Blossom’, inspired by writer Uno Chiyo, featuring Kaoru Sugita and Hiroki Miyake in the Hokkaido story arc.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/nhk-announces-new-cast-for-morning-drama-blossom

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Cite as: NHK morning drama Blossom casting announcements. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/nhk-morning-drama-blossom-casting-announcements