US President Donald Trump headed to Japan on Monday, the second leg of an Asia tour, in advance of a meeting with China's Xi Jinping aiming to end the bruising trade war between the world's largest economies.

Washington and Beijing sounded hopeful notes at the weekend over the chances of sealing a deal, which helped on Monday to push Japan's Nikkei above 50,000 points for the first time.

Trump is expected to land in Tokyo in time for an evening appointment with the Emperor of Japan, before a meeting on Tuesday with the nation's new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi.

The US leader said he had heard "great things about her" and hailed the fact that she was an acolyte of assassinated former premier Shinzo Abe, with whom Trump had close ties.

Takaichi said she told Trump ahead of the meeting

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