Abe spoke to reporters before leaving Tokyo's Haneda Airport for New York on Thursday for his first meeting with Trump.

Abe said it is an honor to be meeting the next US president ahead of other world leaders. He said that he hopes to talk with Trump about their dreams for the future.

He reiterated that the Japan-US alliance is the cornerstone of Japan's foreign and security policy, but said it requires mutual trust in order to function properly.

He said he hopes to build such a relationship with Trump and join hands in working for world prosperity and peace.

After meeting Trump, Abe will head to the Peruvian capital of Lima to attend a summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. US President Barack Obama, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Russian President Vladimir Putin will also be attending the summit.

Abe plans to hold talks with Putin while in Lima.

After the APEC summit, he will visit Buenos Aires in Argentina for talks with President Mauricio Macri.