NHK Morning Drama Kaze Kaoru Introduces Mysterious Courtesan Yunagi in Week 10, Played by 30-Year-Old Honoka Murakami

The NHK asadora Kaze, Kaoru reaches its 10th week with the highly anticipated appearance of the courtesan character Yunagi, who is speculated to be the mother of protagonist Naomi. The role is played by 30-year-old actress Honoka Murakami, a casting choice that surprised some viewers who felt she seemed quite young for the part. Online discussion has also sparked a theory, drawing comparisons to the NHK taiga drama Berabou, that Yunagi may be a different woman who inherited the name rather than Naomi's biological mother.