Purchase of Own Securities

Fleming Japanese Smaller Cos IT PLC
20 August 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
Friday 17th August 2001 in the market it purchased for cancellation 160,000
ordinary shares at 216.5p per share representing 0.32% of the ordinary shares
in issue.


The number of shares repurchased to date now totals 7,950,000.


The remaining shares in issue following this announcement are 49,294,423.







20th August 2001



For further information, please contact:



Hilary Lowe

For and on behalf of

J.P. Morgan Fleming Asset Management (UK) Limited

020 7742 3274



Alan Brierley

Kleinwort Benson Securities - Stockbrokers to the Company

020 7475 6672