After the hastily arranged 90-minute meeting at Trump Tower in Manhattan on Thursday, Abe told reporters: “The talks made me feel sure that we can build a relationship of trust.”
But he would not disclose specifics of the conversation because the talks were unofficial.
The conversation came as Japan's leadership was nervous about the future strength of an alliance that is core to Tokyo's diplomacy and security.
Abe and other Asian leaders were alarmed at Trump's pledge during his campaign to make allies pay more for help from US forces, his suggestion that Japan should acquire its own nuclear weapons and his staunch opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal.
The Republican president-elect will succeed Democratic President Barack Obama on Jan. 20.
Describing his conversation as "candid" and held in a "warm atmosphere," Abe said: "Alliances cannot function without trust. I am now confident that President-elect Trump is a trustworthy leader."
He said he had agreed to meet again with Trump "at a convenient time to cover a wider area in greater depth." It was not clear if such a meeting would occur before Trump's inauguration.
Trump official Kellyanne Conway said earlier on Thursday in an interview with CBS that "any deeper conversations about policy and the relationship between Japan and the United States will have to wait until after the inauguration."
Trump officials did not immediately comment following the meeting with Abe.
Abe is a veteran lawmaker who worked closely with Obama on the 12-nation TPP trade pact, which was part of Obama's push to counter the rising strength of China and was a pillar of Abe's economic reforms.
Abe and Trump gave each other golfing gear as gifts during their meeting, according to a Japanese government statement.
Photographs taken inside the ornate meeting room at Trump Tower showed Abe and an interpreter along with Trump, his daughter Ivanka, her husband and Trump adviser Jared Kushner, and Retired Lieutenant General Michael Flynn.
Thursday, June 04, 2026
