Shinzo Abe prepares for talks with Barack Obama

Japan's prime minister Shinzo Abe is about to head to Washington for talks with US President Barack Obama.

Trade ties between the two are strong, with $250bn (£160bn) worth of goods and services going between them.

US exports to Japan include aircraft, red meat and grains, while Japan sends vehicles and machinery to the west.

The US also wants Japan to join a trans-Pacific partnership, which would set up a free trade agreement between it and various Asian nations.

Takeshi Fujimaki, president of fund manager Fujimaki Japan told the BBC's Asia Business Report what we should expect from talks between Japan and the US.