Purchase of Own Securities

Fleming Japanese Smaller Cos IT PLC
12 January 2001







                         STOCK EXCHANGE ANNOUNCEMENT





                    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 11th January 2001 in the market it purchased for cancellation 75,000
ordinary shares at 218p per share representing 0.148% of the ordinary shares
in issue.



The number of shares repurchased to date now totals 6,665,000.



The remaining shares in issue following this announcement are 50,579,423.







12th January 2001



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