Purchase of Own Securities

Fleming Japanese Smaller Cos IT PLC
8 November 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 7th November 2000 in the market  it
purchased  for  cancellation 250,000 ordinary  shares  at
323.5p  per  share  representing 0.48%  of  the  ordinary
shares in issue.

The  number  of  shares repurchased to  date  now  totals
5,565,000.

The remaining shares in issue following this announcement
is 51,679,423.



8th November 2000

For further information, please contact:

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

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