Prime Minister Naoto Kan on Saturday appointed former transport minister Sumio Mabuchi, replaced in a Cabinet reshuffle in January after he was targeted with an Upper House censure motion, as his adviser on the nuclear crisis and disaster relief operations.

The move came after former Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku, who was also named in a nonbinding censure motion and was replaced in the January reshuffle, was appointed deputy chief Cabinet secretary March 17 to spearhead a task force supporting victims of the March 11 disaster.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano brushed aside criticism of both appointments.