SAPPORO (Kyodo) Yukio Hatoyama indicated Saturday he may not retire from politics, contradicting comments he made last month when announcing his resignation as prime minister.
Hatoyama, 63, told supporters in his home base of Tomakomai, Hokkaido, that he will "think about my own future in a manner that will be in Japan's national interest."
Hatoyama stepped down around eight months after taking office, citing falling public support triggered by his failure to resolve a dispute over the relocation of the U.S. Futenma base and money scandals.
In announcing his resignation June 2, Hatoyama said he would not run in the next general election, which must be held by late 2013.
Hatoyama was the fourth consecutive prime minister to quit after only about a year or less in power.