Japan PM taps Hayashi as new economics minister-TV

TOKYO, July 1 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso tapped Yoshimasa Hayashi as economics minister on Wednesday, relieving Kaoro Yosano of one of his three key economic portfolios, national broadcaster NHK said.

Hayashi briefly held the post of defence minister but is known more for his expertise on economic policy.

Yosano had added the finance and financial services portfolios to his economics minister post when Aso ally Shoichi Nakagawa quit in February after being forced to deny he was drunk at a G7 news conference.

Aso had apparently planned to couple the injection of fresh faces in his cabinet with a revamp of ruling party executives before an impending election the ruling bloc is in danger of losing, but ruling party heavyweights opposed the personnel changes. (Reporting by Tokyo newsroom)