NHK newscaster Yuko Aoyama to move to daytime TV

Yuko Aoyama, 38, who co-anchors NHK’s program “News Watch 9,” which airs on NHK General TV Mon-Fri at 9 p.m., is to be moved to a daytime slot to host a live talk show called, “Hello from Studio Park.” The new chat show will air from 1:05 p.m. on weekdays.

The move is believed to be an attempt to give Aoyama’s public image a new start, following on from the announcement that she is set to marry her fiance, a 37-year-old employee of a medical welfare company, in the near future. In a bid to make a clean break with the past, “News Watch 9” producers are also replacing Aoyama’s co-presenter Goro Taguchi, 52, with 49-year-old Kensuke Okoshi.

Yuko Aoyama started her career on “News Watch 9” as a sports commentator in April of 2006 before sliding into the main presenter role when the show relaunched in March of 2008. She gained a big following for eloquent manner and sharp analytical skills, and she gradually became known as the face of “News Watch 9.”