Financial services minister Shozaburo Jimi on Saturday urged Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda to dismiss two Cabinet ministers censured by the Upper House, to help smooth the passage of critical social security and tax reform bills in the Diet, ruling coalition lawmakers said.

Jimi heads Kokumin Shinto (People's New Party), the junior coalition partner of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan, and was quoted as telling Noda during a meeting that such "obstacles should be removed" so the long-delayed legislation can clear the gridlocked Diet, the lawmakers said.

In response, Noda only reiterated his desire to pass the legislation in the current Diet session through June, but DPJ policy chief Seiji Maehara told reporters in Okinawa Prefecture the same day that the prime minister may consider replacing the two men — Defense Minister Naoki Tanaka and transport minister Takeshi Maeda.