Hiroko Kuniya

Hiroko Kuniya (国谷裕子, Kuniya Hiroko) (born February 3, 1957) is a Japanese news presenter and journalist. Kuniya was born in Osaka Prefecture and graduated from International School of the Sacred Heart in 1975 and then Brown University with majors in international relations and international economics. In 1981, she began to work as a news caster and writer for the English-language broadcasts of NHK television's Seven O'clock News. Starting in 1986, she served as a researcher in the United States for NHK Special. Later assignments included satellite and ground network news shows, including Asia Now (1990), which was picked up in the U.S. by Public Broadcasting Service.

Close-up Gendai

Since its inception in 1993, Kuniya hosted Close-up Gendai (Today's Close-up), which NHK airs four days weekly in prime time on its ground-based general television network, satellite, and both NHK World and NHK World Premium systems.

The Japan Times reported in January 2016 that NHK was considering making changes to the Close-Up Gendai program, which may include the removal of Kuniya as host. Kuniya's eventual departure from the program in April 2016 came amid claims of political pressure being exerted on Japanese broadcasters, criticism by visiting United Nations officials investigating freedom of expression and a steep decline in Japan's international ranking of press freedom by Reporters Without Borders.