A Nurse Analyzes Kaze Kaoru Episode 7: Onnake, Match Factory Phossy Jaw and Meiji Childbirth Risks

Hi, I’m Shi-chan! 😊

I’m an active nurse, certified critical care nurse, and have completed advanced nursing practice training. While working clinically every day, I share nursing and medical knowledge on this blog in an easy-to-understand way.

Today I’m giving a deep-dive nurse’s perspective on Episode 7 of the NHK morning drama “Kaze, Kaoru” (aired April 7, 2026)!

Episode 7 is titled “Onnake” (a girl) — Rin gets married and begins her life in the Okuda household. Her husband Kamekichi’s drinking problem, the dismissive word he utters when their daughter is born, and the moment Rin — who has never cried before — finally breaks down and weeps. It’s a scene that cuts deep.

“This doesn’t seem directly related to nursing,” you might think — but through a nurse’s lens, this episode is packed with themes of women’s health in the Meiji era, gender inequality, childbirth risks, occupational disease, and the very roots of Rin’s motivation to become a nurse.

Episode 7 “Onnake” Summary — Rin Gets Married

Episode 7 opens with Rin’s wedding ceremony. Watched by her mother Mitsu (Miki Mizuno), her sister An (Mie Hayasaka), and Nakamura (Ryu Kobayashi), Rin is married into the household of Kamekichi Okuda (Takahiro Miura), a man who built his fortune in the Meiji-era transportation industry.

The Okuda family rose from former express messengers to success in modern transport. Kamekichi is 17 years older than Rin and a heavy drinker. He resents his educated wife, and the couple’s relationship is strained from the very beginning.

His mother Tei (Kie Negishi) says “Having a daughter of a house chief give birth raises the family’s prestige.” This single line reveals that Rin was brought into the household not as a person, but as a tool to elevate the family’s social standing.

Rin tries desperately to build a warm relationship, but Kamekichi’s drinking and his resentment of her education stand in the way.

A daughter is born the following year — the word “Onnake”

The following year, Rin gives birth. But when Kamekichi learns the baby is a girl, he says only “Onnake” (just a girl) and walks away without naming the child, leaving everything to his wife.

Rin — who did not cry even at her father’s death — cries for the first time here. Holding her newborn daughter Tamaki (Ruka Miyajima), she weeps — a mix of grief, resignation, and the quiet strength to keep going.

Naomi is working at a match factory

Meanwhile, the story also follows Naomi (Juri Uesaka), Rin’s classmate. At this point in the story, Naomi is working at a match factory. Through a nurse’s eyes, this detail sets off alarm bells.

Nurse Analysis ①: The Match Factory and “Phossy Jaw” — A History of Occupational Disease

White phosphorus matches and phossy jaw

Match factories in the Meiji era used white phosphorus — and with it came a terrifying occupational disease: phossy jaw (phosphorus necrosis of the jaw). The symptoms were devastating:

• Necrosis (death) of the jawbone (mandible and maxilla)
• The jaw glowing green in the dark due to phosphorus accumulation
• Jaw swelling, severe pain, and discharge of pus
• Collapse and deformity of the jawbone — ultimately, poison spreading throughout the body and death

Workers spent long hours in poorly ventilated factories breathing in phosphorus fumes, and many developed these symptoms over time. In the modern era, this type of working environment would be completely unacceptable.

Connection to modern occupational diseases

Occupational diseases like phossy jaw were not limited to the Meiji era. Even today, various industries carry occupational health risks:

• Construction and factory workers: mesothelioma and lung cancer from asbestos exposure
• Agricultural workers: nerve damage and skin disease from pesticide exposure
• Nurses and healthcare workers: back injury, infection risk, and burnout
• Night shift workers: circadian rhythm disorders and lifestyle disease risk

As nurses, understanding the relationship between a patient’s occupation and their health is a core part of our assessment. “What is your job?” is not small talk — it can be the most important question.

Nurse Analysis ②: Life as a “Bride” in Meiji Japan — Impact on Women’s Mental and Physical Health

Through a nurse’s eyes, Rin’s life in the Okuda household represents an environment of “chronic stress,” “loss of social support,” and “absence of autonomy” all at once.

The role of a wife in Meiji Japan

In the Meiji era, a wife’s role was clearly defined:

• Obey her husband and his family (“the family” came first in all things)
• Handle all housework, childcare, and assistance with the family business
• Bearing an heir (a son) was considered her “mission”
• Expressing her own opinions or emotions was suppressed
• Ties with her birth family were often severed (loss of social support)

From a modern medical perspective, this is an environment that leads to chronic stress, elevated cortisol secretion, reduced immune function, and increased risk of depression. The time Rin spent trying to build a loving marriage was also a battle against mental exhaustion.

“Getting married” as a life turning point and health

Even today, “moving,” “marriage,” and “childbirth” are measured as high-stress life events in stress research (the Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale). Marriage ranks as one of the top high-stress events.

On top of this, Rin faced “moving to an unfamiliar place,” “a husband who resents her education,” and “a mother-in-law who sees her as a tool.” In modern terms, this is a stress environment that would warrant a visit to a psychosomatic medicine clinic.

“Listen well to what your husband says” — the weight of a mother’s words

Mitsu’s parting words to Rin: “Listen well to what your husband says.” These were her mother’s best attempt at advice within the social norms of the time.

But these words also planted in Rin the belief that “I must not have my own opinions” and “obedience is right.” Modern domestic violence (DV) research shows that this kind of “it’s natural to obey” mindset can delay victims from recognizing abuse for what it is.

Nurse Analysis ③: Childbirth in Meiji Japan — Assessing the Risks of “Having a Baby”

The scene where Rin gives birth and holds her daughter while crying — behind it lies the fact that she “survived.” Childbirth in the Meiji era carried risks that are incomparable to today.

Maternal mortality in Meiji Japan

The maternal mortality rate in Meiji-era Japan was shockingly high by modern standards. It was an era of poor sanitation and a shortage of trained obstetricians and midwives. The main causes of death were:

• Puerperal fever (childbed fever): bacterial infection after delivery — treatable with antibiotics today, but fatal at the time
• Uterine atony and hemorrhage: massive bleeding from failure of the uterus to contract — no blood transfusions or IV fluids meant immediate death
• Difficult labor and abnormal fetal position: cesarean section techniques were primitive; prolonged labor endangered both mother and child
• Postpartum malnutrition: anemia and undernutrition impeded recovery

The fact that Rin held her daughter safely means she survived these dangers. Her tears held within them not only grief but relief at having come through alive.

What is “postpartum care” (the puerperium)?

In modern nursing, the period after delivery is called the “postpartum period” (puerperium), and special care is provided for the mother’s recovery:

• Monitoring uterine involution (the uterus returning to its original size)
• Wound care and hygiene management of the perineum
• Breastfeeding support
• Postpartum depression screening and mental health care
• Ensuring adequate sleep, nutrition, and rest

Today, postpartum depression is especially emphasized for early detection. It’s estimated that 10–15% of women experience postpartum depression within two weeks of delivery, and nurses regularly screen for postpartum mental health status.

In Rin’s case — told “just a girl” by her husband, with limited social support — the postpartum depression risk was extremely high. The tears Rin shed surely also carried the emotional vulnerability of the postpartum period.

“I wanted a boy” — sex preference and nursing

Kamekichi’s word “Onnake” (just a girl) is a symbol of the “male superiority” values of the era. Boys were the family heir and family asset, and girls being treated as “unwanted” was not uncommon.

Even today, gender-based value differences persist in some regions and cultures. As nurses working with patients of diverse cultural backgrounds, we are called to understand those values while maintaining the ethical nursing position that “every life has equal value.”

Nurse Analysis ④: “Rin Finally Cried” — The Health Impact of Suppressing Emotions

“Rin, who hadn’t even cried at her father’s death, cried for the first time here.” This depiction is not just a moving scene — it can be read through a nursing lens as the theme of emotional suppression and its release.

What does “not being able to cry” mean?

Rin was raised in a samurai family in the Meiji era. She grew up under the norm that “you must not show emotions” and “you must be strong.” Even at her father’s death — a profound grief — she was unable to express it through tears.

From a medical perspective, chronic emotional suppression has well-documented health consequences:

• Chronically elevated stress hormones (cortisol)
• Reduced immune function (increased susceptibility to infection)
• Increased risk of psychosomatic illness (peptic ulcer, irritable bowel syndrome, tension headaches)
• Emotional “numbing” — becoming less able to feel joy, anger, or sadness
• Risk of transitioning into depression

The physiological effect of tears — why crying is good for you

When Rin finally cried, it was more than just an emotional release. From a physiological standpoint:

• Emotional tears contain stress hormones (cortisol, ACTH), which are excreted with the tears
• Crying activates the parasympathetic nervous system, allowing the body and mind to relax
• Endorphins are released, easing pain and sadness
• Crying helps process emotions and prepares you for the next step

As nurses, when a patient cries, we don’t rush to “stop” the tears. Creating a space where it is safe to cry is itself a form of care.

What Truly Motivated Rin to Become a Nurse — A Nurse’s Reading

Choosing nursing as a profession is not simply a career choice. For Rin, it was a challenge to “create her own value, by her own will, through her own strength.”

Rather than continuing her life as a bride told she “raises the family’s prestige,” she chose a profession where her knowledge, skills, and judgment could matter to people’s lives — and the experience of Episode 7 lies at the heart of that decision.

Rin was searching for “a place to live on her own terms”

After Episode 7, Rin’s marriage ends. The exact circumstances aren’t shown in detail, but it’s clear that life in the Okuda household was not a place where Rin could be true to herself. A woman of the Meiji era who had lost the “expected path” of marriage and motherhood then chose the unconventional path of nursing.

Looking at that choice through a nurse’s eyes, I read it as Rin’s declaration: “I want to live as myself.” In the Meiji era, nursing was still seen by many as a “lowly profession.” Choosing it anyway meant she was ready to live by her own conscience, no matter what.

“Nursing is a lowly job” — and why Rin crossed that barrier

At the time, the prejudice that “nursing is a degrading profession” was deeply entrenched. That Rin pursued it anyway suggests she carried the conviction: “No matter how I am looked down upon, I will live according to my own conscience.”

This connects directly to the guiding principle shown in her character: “Does this shame my own conscience?” Having experienced “doing the right thing and receiving no recognition” in her marriage, Rin found in nursing a place to live by her conscience. Episode 7 is the backdrop to that discovery.

When a modern nurse is asked “Why did you become a nurse?”

Modern nurses are also asked about their motivation for choosing nursing — in job interviews, introductions, career reflections. “Why nursing?” is a question we all face at various points.

Just as Rin’s motivation was “I want to live by my own strength” and “I want to follow my conscience,” everyone has their own reasons. What matters is whether that motivation still lives in the nursing you do today.

Women’s Health Disparities in Meiji Japan — Lessons for Today

Watching Episode 7, you can feel how little the women of the Meiji era were able to exercise their right to protect their own health. As nurses, knowing this historical background carries real meaning.

Average lifespan and health of Meiji-era women

The average lifespan of Japanese women in the Meiji era is said to have been around 35–40 years (today it is approximately 87 years). Behind this gap is not only the difference in medical technology, but the fact that women’s social standing directly determined their health.

• No right to medical care: costs money, and women often could not seek it on their own
• No concept of reproductive rights: women had no control over pregnancy and childbirth
• Nutritional inequality: men ate first; women’s nutrition was often insufficient
• Psychological suppression: expressing emotional distress was not permitted, accelerating physical decline
• Social isolation: separated from their birth family, with no support network

The tears Rin shed when she was told “Onnake” — those tears were not only grief. They were also a sign that a woman’s body and mind had been pushed to the limit by the social structure around her.

Gender and health disparities — an ongoing issue

The story of the Meiji era cannot be dismissed as “ancient history.” Even today, “gender and health disparities” is a global challenge in medicine and public health.

• Women are more likely to go undiagnosed or have their symptoms dismissed (particularly for cardiovascular disease, pain conditions)
• Gender-based violence (DV, sexual violence) has serious health impacts
• Mental health issues carry higher stigma for women and are less likely to be sought for
• In some cultures, women’s healthcare decisions are controlled by husbands or family

As nurses, we work with patients of diverse backgrounds. Understanding each person’s life circumstances, social position, and gender-related experiences is the first step toward better care.

Nursing that is aware of “social determinants of health”

Modern nursing increasingly emphasizes the concept of “Social Determinants of Health” — the idea that health is shaped not only by medical care, but by social conditions including education, economics, housing, relationships, and gender.

The “marriage without choice,” “the child whose arrival goes uncelebrated,” the “social isolation” that Rin experienced — these are all social determinants of health. Through this Meiji-era drama, we can develop a nurse’s eye for “the social situation in which a person is placed.”

Q&A: Nursing Questions from Episode 7 — Answered

Q. As a nurse, how should I approach a patient who has a husband with DV risk (like Kamekichi)?

A. The most important thing is NOT to ask directly “Are you experiencing domestic violence?” This can put the patient on guard and actually make it harder for them to open up. Instead, start with questions like “How is life at home these days?” “Are you sleeping okay?” or “Are there things you find stressful?” Build a safe relationship first, and gently piece together the situation. If DV is suspected, don’t carry it alone — connect with a medical social worker or the hospital’s counseling department right away.

Q. How do you identify postpartum depression?

A. In clinical settings, we use a screening tool called the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). It is typically administered 2–4 weeks after delivery and consists of 10 questions. High scores prompt referral for professional support. But screening tools aren’t everything — in everyday conversation, asking “Are you sleeping?” “Are you eating?” and “Do you have anyone to help you?” matters just as much.

Q. Is there a modern treatment for phossy jaw, the match factory occupational disease from the Meiji era?

A. White phosphorus matches are no longer manufactured, so phossy jaw has effectively disappeared. However, similar symptoms (jaw osteonecrosis) can occur in patients taking bisphosphonates (drugs for osteoporosis) or certain cancer medications — a condition called MRONJ (medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw). Modern nurses are expected to understand this drug-related risk and communicate the importance of oral hygiene to patients.

Q. How should I approach a patient who has suppressed their emotions for a long time?

A. Rushing to “get them to express their feelings” can backfire. First, create an atmosphere where they feel safe — and make sure there’s no pressure to speak. Questions like “Do you ever find yourself on the verge of tears?” or “If something is hard, do you feel you can tell someone?” can give them permission to have feelings at all. That permission is often the first step.

Q. Does a childhood like Rin’s — full of suppression and hardship — affect career choice?

A. In developmental psychology, adversity and hardship in childhood can, in some cases, generate strong empathy and a drive to “help others.” This is sometimes called “wounded healer” — people who have experienced pain and use that experience as a foundation for supporting others. Rin’s motivation to become a nurse may trace back not only to her marriage but to her entire life history. As nurses, understanding a patient’s life history helps us see not just the illness, but the whole person.

Summary: Episode 7 Is About “the Roots of Why Rin Chose Nursing”

Episode 7, which seems on the surface to be about marriage and family, is rich with medical and nursing themes from a nurse’s perspective. Let me pull together the key points:

Rather than just watching this drama as entertainment, reading it through a nursing lens opens up a whole new layer of meaning. I hope to keep walking alongside Rin and Naomi as they grow — and to keep learning from their stories.

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