-----BEGIN PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE----- Proc-Type: 2001,MIC-CLEAR Originator-Name: webmaster@www.sec.gov Originator-Key-Asymmetric: MFgwCgYEVQgBAQICAf8DSgAwRwJAW2sNKK9AVtBzYZmr6aGjlWyK3XmZv3dTINen TWSM7vrzLADbmYQaionwg5sDW3P6oaM5D3tdezXMm7z1T+B+twIDAQAB MIC-Info: RSA-MD5,RSA, P2mNM4sznwzxkY6F39B0RgQPr1OKeqf5jMHyIGDzr7fj0qI9I5mDWDJxUP3u3VQk 2Vqbn7bI0FFPpq/DJN6tDg== 0000866095-06-000002.txt : 20060621 0000866095-06-000002.hdr.sgml : 20060621 20060621154137 ACCESSION NUMBER: 0000866095-06-000002 CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE: 40-17F2 PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT: 4 FILED AS OF DATE: 20060621 DATE AS OF CHANGE: 20060621 EFFECTIVENESS DATE: 20060621 SUBJECT COMPANY: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: JAPAN EQUITY FUND INC CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0000866095 IRS NUMBER: 223060893 STATE OF INCORPORATION: MD FISCAL YEAR END: 1031 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: 40-17F2 SEC ACT: 1940 Act SEC FILE NUMBER: 811-06142 FILM NUMBER: 06917389 BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: ONE EVERTRUST PLAZA STREET 2: C/O DAIWA SECURITIES TRUST CO CITY: JERSEY CITY STATE: NJ ZIP: 07302 BUSINESS PHONE: 2019153054 MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 1: DAIWA SECURITIES TRUST CO STREET 2: ONE EVERTRUST PLAZA CITY: JERSEY CITY STATE: NJ ZIP: 07302 FORMER COMPANY: FORMER CONFORMED NAME: JAPAN EMERGING EQUITY FUND INC DATE OF NAME CHANGE: 19920407 FILED BY: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: JAPAN EQUITY FUND INC CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0000866095 STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION: UNKNOWN SIC - 0000 [0000] IRS NUMBER: 223060893 STATE OF INCORPORATION: MD FISCAL YEAR END: 1031 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: 40-17F2 BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: ONE EVERTRUST PLAZA STREET 2: C/O DAIWA SECURITIES TRUST CO CITY: JERSEY CITY STATE: NJ ZIP: 07302 BUSINESS PHONE: 2019153054 MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 1: DAIWA SECURITIES TRUST CO STREET 2: ONE EVERTRUST PLAZA CITY: JERSEY CITY STATE: NJ ZIP: 07302 FORMER COMPANY: FORMER CONFORMED NAME: JAPAN EMERGING EQUITY FUND INC DATE OF NAME CHANGE: 19920407 40-17F2 1 jeqformn17f2-0705.txt JAPAN EQUITY FUND-FORM N-17F2 0705 UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 FORM N-17f-2 Certificate of Accounting of Securities and Similar Investments in the Custody of Management Investment Companies Pursuant to Rule 17f-2 [17 CFR 270.17F-2] OMB APPROVAL OMB Number: 3235-0360 Expires: July 31, 1994 Estimated average burden hours per response .0.05 1. Investment Company Act File Number: 811-06142 Date examination completed: December 15, 2005 2. State identification Number: AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE DC FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY PUERTO RICO Other (specify): 3. Exact name of investment company as specified in registration statement: The Japan Equity Fund, Inc. 4. Address of principal executive office (number, street, city, state, zip code): John O'Keefe One Evertrust Plaza 9th Floor, Jersey City, NJ 07302 INSTRUCTIONS This Form must be completed by investment companies that have custody of securities or similar investments. Investment Company 1. All items must be completed by the investment company. 2.Give this Form to the independent public accountant who, in compliance with Rule 17f-2 under the Act and applicable state law, examines securities and similar investments in the custody of the investment company. Accountant 3.Submit this Form to the Securities and Exchange Commission and appropriate state securities administrators when filing the certificate of accounting required by Rule 17f-2 under the Act and applicable state law. File the original and one copy with the Securities and Exchange Commission's principal office in Washington, D.C., one copy with the regional office for the region in which the investment company's principal business operations are conducted, and one copy with the appropriate state administrator(s), if applicable. THIS FORM MUST BE GIVEN TO YOUR INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT SEC 2198 (11-91) EX-99.77B ACCT LTTR 2 jeqauditorlttr-0705.txt JAPAN EQUITY FUND-AUDITOR LETTER 0705 Report of Independent Auditors To the Board of Directors of The Japan Equity Fund, Inc. We have examined management's assertion, included in the accompanying Management Statement Regarding Compliance with Certain Provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940, about The Japan Equity Fund, Inc.'s (the "Fund's") compliance with the requirements of subsections (b) and (c) of Rule 17f- 2 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 ("the Act") as of July 6, 2005. Management is responsible for the Fund's compliance with those requirements. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on management's assertion about the Fund's compliance based on our examination. Our examination was conducted in accordance with attestation standards established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and, accordingly, included examining, on a test basis, evidence about the Fund's compliance with those requirements and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. Included among our procedures were the following tests performed as of July 6, 2005, and with respect to agreement of security purchases and sales, for the period from October 29, 2004 (the date of our last examination) through July 6, 2005: - - Confirmation of securities and cash held for the Fund at the Bank of New York (there were not securities held by Daiwa Securities Trust Company, the Fund's Custodian, at July 6, 2005); - - Reconciliation of all such securities and cash to the books and records of the Fund and the Fund's Custodian; - - Confirmation of all securities out for transfer with brokers or validation of open trades through subsequent liquidation; and - - Selection of three security purchases and three security sales since our last report from the books and records of the Fund noting settlement of these transactions through a review of the Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation's (the Fund's Sub-Custodian) cash statements. We believe that our examination provides a reasonable basis for our opinion. Our examination does not provide a legal determination on the Fund's compliance with specified requirements. In our opinion, management's assertion that The Japan Equity Fund, Inc. complied with the requirements of subsections (b) and (c) of Rule 17f-2 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 as of July 6, 2005, with respect to securities reflected in the investment account of the Fund is fairly stated, in all material respects. This report is intended solely for the information and use of the Board of Directors, management, and the Securities and Exchange Commission and is not intended to be and should not be used by anyone other than these specified parties. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP New York, New York December 15, 2005 To the Board of Directors of The Japan Equity Fund, Inc. December 15, 2005 1 2 EX-99.77B ACCT LTTR 3 jeqmgtcompliance-0705.txt JAPAN EQUITY FUND-MGT. COMPLIANCE 0705 THE JAPAN EQUITY FUND, INC. C/O DAIWA SECURITIES TRUST COMPANY ONE EVERTRUST PLAZA JERSEY CITY, N.J. 07302 Management Statement Regarding Compliance with Certain Provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940 We, as members of management of The Japan Equity Fund, Inc. (the "Fund"), are responsible for complying with the requirements of subsection (b) and (c) of rule 17f-2, Custody of Investments by Registered Management Investment Companies, of the Investment Company Act of 1940. We are also responsible for establishing and maintaining an effective internal control structure over compliance with those requirements. We have performed an evaluation of the Fund's compliance with the requirements of subsection (b) and (c) of Rule 17f-2 as of July 6, 2005, and from October 29, 2004 (the date of our last statement) through July 6, 2005. Based on this evaluation, we assert that the Fund was in compliance with those provisions of Rule 17f-2 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 as of July 6, 2005 and from October 29, 2004 through July 6, 2005, with respect to securities and similar investments reflected in the investment account of the Fund. The Japan Equity Fund, Inc. By: ___________________________________ Hiroshi Kimura Chairman ___________________________________ John J. O'Keefe Vice President and Treasurer ___________________________________ Date EX-99.77B ACCT LTTR 4 jeqsecuritylttr-0705.txt JAPAN EQUITY FUND-SECURITY LETTER 0705 Securities and Exchange Commission Office of Applications and Report Services 450 5th Street N.W. Washington, D.C. 20549 December 15, 2005 The Japan Equity Fund, Inc. (File #811-06142) Dear Sir or Madam: At the request of the Board of Directors of The Japan Equity Fund, Inc. (the "Fund"), we have performed an examination of securities owned by the Fund at July 6, 2005, pursuant to Rule 17f-2 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the "Rule"). Enclosed please find Form N-17f-2 accompanied by our report for the Fund stating that we have performed the examination specified in the Rule. Very truly yours, Arthur Tollefson Enclosure cc: Mr. John O'Keefe, Treasurer, The Japan Equity Fund, Inc. (with enclosure) (2) -----END PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE-----