Purchase of Own Securities

Fleming Japanese Smaller Cos IT PLC
7 December 2000

                            
         THE FLEMING JAPANESE SMALLER COMPANIES
                  INVESTMENT TRUST PLC
                            
                            
     REPURCHASE OF ORDINARY SHARES FOR CANCELLATION


The  Fleming Japanese Smaller Companies Investment  Trust
plc  announces that on Thursday 7th December 2000 in  the
market  it  purchased  for cancellation  75,000  ordinary
shares  at  286p  per share representing  0.147%  of  the
ordinary shares in issue.

The  number  of  shares repurchased to  date  now  totals
6,465,000.

The remaining shares in issue following this announcement
are 50,779,423.

For further information, please contact:

L E Field  (Company Secretary)
Chase Fleming Asset Management (UK) Limited
020 7742 3426

David McLaughlin
Kleinwort Benson Securities - Stockbrokers to the Company
020 7475 6672