Daisuke Sakuma Thrilled by AnimeJapan Debut! Special Stage Report for Anime "Inherit the Winds" featuring Yuki Kaji, Aoi Yuki, and Koki Uchiyama

A special stage event for Inherit the Winds—a groundbreaking authentic historical drama anime produced by a powerful tag-team of Aniplex, Live2D, and Drive—was held at the RED STAGE during "AnimeJapan 2026."

The stage brought together a star-studded cast, including Daisuke Sakuma (voice of the protagonist, Jinsuke Tachikawa), Yuki Kaji (voice of Soji Okita), Aoi Yuki (voice of Hyogo Koganei), and Koki Uchiyama (voice of Toshizo Hijikata).

■ Daisuke Sakuma’s AnimeJapan Debut! Cast Discusses Character Appeal

Sakuma, who made his very first appearance at AnimeJapan with this stage, expressed his joy: "I am so happy to be at my first AnimeJapan and to stand before the audience for the first time with this work." The opening set a friendly tone for the cast, with Koki Uchiyama getting teased by the others after accidentally standing in the wrong position upon entering.

During the talk segment, Sakuma described the amnesiac protagonist Jinsuke Tachikawa: "I think people will grow to love Jinsuke more with every episode, and memories will be planted in the viewers just as they are in him." He also noted a personal connection to the character: "I also feel a similarity in how he wants to help his comrades when they are in trouble and steps forward of his own accord."

Next, Yuki Kaji introduced Soji Okita as "cheerful and energetic, yet a bit airheaded, while possessing genius-level swordsmanship." It was also revealed that Nichika Omori provides the voice for Kurosuke, the cat cared for at the Shinsengumi headquarters.

Aoi Yuki, playing Hyogo Koganei, humorously described her character as "a great 'device' for drawing troubled expressions out of the other soldiers," while also highlighting his charm by noting that "his sword skills are sharp and he is quick-witted." Koki Uchiyama, playing Toshizo Hijikata—whom Hyogo is quite fond of—looked back on the recording process: "Because of his position, there are many scenes where he shows a stern face, but he shows softer expressions within limited relationships, so I hope to bring out those various sides of him."