Japan officials somewhat stumped by Trump 's maiden meeting with Abe - report

Japan officials are somewhat stumped over the detail of US president-elect Donald Trump's maiden meeting with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a report says.

The location of the meeting has yet to be finalised, and said officials are both short on details over who will be invited and whom they should go to for firm answers, Reuters reported.

This uncertainty highlights the unfamiliar path Trump has to negotiate as he transitions from businessman to US president. His inauguration is on 20 January next year.

Officials in Japan and the US said on Wednesday that the US State Department had not been involved in planning the meeting, which meant that matters of logistics and protocol were not bolted down beforehand.

Trump and his advisers have been busy this past week hammering out the composition of his new administration.

The meeting with Abe is expected to reassure Japan and other Asian allies that may have been shaken by his campaign rhetoric, Trump’s advisers said. Abe and Trump have differing opinions on policy issues such as free trade.

Against this fabric, the president-elect denounced New York Times' reports of disorganisation within team Trump. The newspaper reported that world leaders had trouble getting in touch with him.

Trump, via social media, said he had taken calls from "many foreign leaders despite what the failing @nytimes said. Russia, U.K., China, Saudi Arabia, Japan".

Trump and running-mate Mike Pence have apparently held telephone conversations with 29 foreign leaders since the US election.