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Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said his administration will aim to reduce Japan's financial burden from hosting U.S. forces in Japan.

"It's necessary to comprehensively review Japan's burden from hosting U.S. forces in Japan in order to make it more efficient and effective," Hatoyama told a House of Representatives plenary session on Thursday.

He was answering a question posed by opposition Japanese Communist Party Chairman Kazuo Shii.

In his question, Shii pointed out that the Hatoyama administration incorporated 191.9 billion yen in funds to cover part of the expenses of U.S. forces in Japan in its fiscal 2010 budget request -- the same amount set aside by the previous administration led by the Liberal Democratic Party. The JCP leader asked if Hatoyama intends to slash the amount when the government compiles the budget draft for next fiscal year.

Hatoyama disclosed that the United States had promised in the Japan-U.S. defense ministerial meeting on Oct. 21 to try to streamline U.S. forces in Japan as much as possible, and expressed enthusiasm about reviewing Japan's burden.

The prime minister also emphasized that he will make a final decision on the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Okinawa Prefecture on his own. He was referring to conflicting statements made by Cabinet ministers over the issue.

Hatoyama subsequently told reporters at his office that he needs some time to consider the matter.

"We'll examine Japan's financial burden from hosting U.S. forces, the Japan-U.S. Status-of-Forces Agreement and the Futenma relocation issue in a comprehensive manner, and have sufficient discussions to seek solutions to these matters. We need a certain amount of time to do so," the prime minister said.