"I am very honored to see the President elect ahead of other world leaders," Abe told reporters before his departure.
"The Japan-US alliance is the axis of Japan's diplomacy and security. The alliance becomes alive only when there is trust between us. I would like to build such a trust with Mr Trump."
Prime Minister Abe, like other Asian leaders, is keen to find out to what extent Trump's campaign trail rhetoric will become policy after Trump suggested he may withdraw US troops from the region.
