In March, a month after becoming Caterpillar's chief executive, the 60-year-old farm boy from Alton, Missouri, stood up in front of 150 financial analysts at a Las Vegas trade show and promised that profits in 1999 would be off no more than 15%.

FORBES: Sharpening the claws

Since taking office in December, Abe has also raised government spending and promised reforms to make the world's No. 3 economy more competitive.

NPR: Japan Gyrations Underline Economy's Vulnerability