WASHINGTON — When he visited the United States nearly seven months ago, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama was making his diplomatic debut as the head of a new administration launched after a historic national election.

But this time out, he toured Washington when voters at home and policymakers in the U.S. alike appeared frustrated with the seemingly endless debate over the fate of the Futenma base in Okinawa. Now that his latest trip is over, Hatoyama was seen by many as going home empty-handed, his future hanging in the balance.

When Hatoyama swept to power last September, the United States "expected that he would soon learn the importance of Japan-U.S. ties and realize what taking power means," said Koji Murata, a political science professor at Doshisha University.