¨
|
Preliminary
Proxy Statement
|
¨
|
Confidential,
for Use of the Commission Only
|
ý
|
Definitive
Proxy Statement
|
¨
|
Definitive
Additional Materials
|
¨
|
Soliciting
Material Pursuant to
§ 240.14a-12
|
JAPAN
SMALLER CAPITALIZATION FUND, INC.
|
(Name
of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)
|
(Name
of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the
Registrant)
|
ý
|
No
fee required.
|
¨
|
Fee
computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and
0-11.
|
(1)
|
Title
of each class of securities to which transaction
applies:
|
(2)
|
Aggregate
number of securities to which transaction applies:
|
(3)
|
Per
unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant
to
Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the amount on which the filing
fee is
calculated and state how it was determined):
|
(4)
|
Proposed
maximum aggregate value of transaction:
|
(5)
|
Total
fee paid:
|
(1)
|
Amount
Previously Paid:
|
(2)
|
Form,
Schedule or Registration Statement No.:
|
(3)
|
Filing
Party:
|
(4)
|
Date
Filed:
|
By
Order of the Board of Directors
NEIL
A. DANIELE
Secretary
|
Name,
Address
and
Age
|
Position(s)
Held
with
the
Fund
|
Term
of
Office
and
Length
of
Time
Served*
|
Principal
Occupation(s)
During
Past Five Years
|
Number
of
Funds
in the
Fund
Complex
Overseen***
|
Other
Public
Directorships
Held
by the
Director
|
Class
I (Nominees for a Term Expiring at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders
to
be held in 2010)
|
|||||
William
G. Barker, Jr.**
(74)
111
Parsonage Road
Greenwich
Connecticut
06830
|
Class
I
Director
|
Director
since
1993
|
Retired.
|
2
registered
investment
companies
consisting
of 2
portfolios
|
None
|
John
F. Wallace (79)**
17
Rhoda Street
West
Hempstead
New
York 11552
|
Class
I
Director
|
Director
since
1990
|
Retired
since 2000; Vice President of the Fund from 1997 to 2000 and Secretary
and
Treasurer of the Fund from 1990 to 1997; Senior Vice President of
NAM-U.S.A. from 1981 to 2000, Secretary from 1976 to 2000, Treasurer
from
1984 to 2000 and Director from 1986 to 2000.
|
2
registered investment companies consisting of 2 portfolios
|
None
|
*
|
If
a nominee is elected by the shareholders and qualifies, the nominee
will
serve as a Class I Director for a three-year term expiring at the
Annual
Meeting of Shareholders to be held in 2010 and until his successor
is
elected and qualified or until his earlier resignation or
removal.
|
**
|
Each
Class I Director nominee is also a director of Korea Equity Fund,
Inc.,
for which Nomura Asset Management U.S.A. Inc. (“NAM-U.S.A.”) acts as
manager and Nomura Asset Management Co., Ltd. (“NAM”) acts as investment
adviser, and is a member of the Audit and Nominating Committees of
Korea
Equity Fund, Inc. and a member of the Audit and Nominating Committees
of
the Fund.
|
***
|
In
addition to the Fund, the “Fund Complex” includes Korea Equity Fund,
Inc.
|
Name,
Address
and
Age
|
Position(s)
Held
with
the
Fund
|
Term
of
Office
and
Length
of
Time
Served*
|
Principal
Occupation(s)
During
Past Five Years
|
Number
of
Funds
in the
Fund
Complex
Overseen***
|
Other
Public
Directorships
Held
by the
Director
|
Shigeru
Shinohara (45)**
c/o
Nomura Asset
Management
U.S.A. Inc.
Two
World Financial
Center,
Building B
New
York
New
York 10281
|
Class
II
Director
and President
|
Director
since
May 2007
|
President
of Nomura Asset Management U.S.A. Inc. (“NAM-U.S.A.”) since 2007;
Executive Vice President of Nomura Corporate Research and Asset Management
Inc. from 2006 to 2007; previously Chief Fund Analyst at Nomura Funds
Research and Technologies Co., Ltd.
|
2
registered investment
companies
consisting
of 2 portfolios
|
None
|
*
|
Following
the resignation of Mr. Hiroshi Terasaki as a Director of the Fund,
the
Board of Directors elected Mr. Shinohara as a Class II Director of
the
Fund, effective May 31, 2007, to serve for a term expiring at the
Annual
Meeting of Shareholders to be held in 2008 and until his successor
is
elected and qualified or until his earlier resignation or
removal.
|
**
|
Mr.
Shinohara is an “interested person,” as defined in the Investment Company
Act, of the Fund based on his positions with NAM-U.S.A. Mr. Shinohara
is a
director of Korea Equity Fund, Inc. for which NAM-U.S.A. acts as
manager
and for which NAM acts as investment
adviser.
|
***
|
In
addition to the Fund, the “Fund Complex” includes Korea Equity Fund,
Inc.
|
Name,
Address
and
Age
|
Position(s)
Held
with
the
Fund
|
Term
of
Office
and
Length
of
Time
Served*
|
Principal
Occupation(s)
During
Past Five Years
|
Number
of
Funds
in the
Fund
Complex
Overseen***
|
Other
Public
Directorships
Held
by the
Director
|
Chor
Weng Tan (71)**
6245
Paseo Privado
Carlsbad,
California
92009
|
Class
II
Director
|
Director
since
1990
|
Retired
since 2004; Managing Director for Education, The American Society
of
Mechanical Engineers from 1991 to 2004.
|
2
registered investment
companies
consisting
of 2 portfolios
|
None
|
*
|
Mr.
Tan serves as a Class II Director for a term expiring at the Annual
Meeting of Shareholders to be held in 2008 and until his successor
is
elected and qualified or until his earlier resignation or
removal.
|
**
|
Mr.
Tan is also a director of Korea Equity Fund, Inc. for which NAM-U.S.A.
acts as manager and NAM acts as investment adviser, and is a member
of the
Audit and Nominating Committees of Korea Equity Fund, Inc. and a
member of
the Audit and Nominating Committees of the
Fund.
|
***
|
In
addition to the Fund, the “Fund Complex” includes Korea Equity Fund,
Inc.
|
Name,
Address
and
Age
|
Position(s)
Held
with
the
Fund
|
Term
of
Office
and
Length
of
Time
Served*
|
Principal
Occupation(s)
During
Past Five Years
|
Number
of
Funds
in the
Fund
Complex
Overseen***
|
Other
Public
Directorships
Held
by the
Director
|
Rodney
A. Buck (59)***
1857
West County Road
Calais
Vermont
05648
|
Class
III
Director
|
Director
since
2006
|
Owner,
Buck Capital Management (private investment management firm) since
2005;
Executive Vice President and Chief Investment Officer, National Life
Group
(insurance holding company) from 2000 to 2005; Chief Executive Officer,
Sentinel Advisors Company (investment adviser) from 1996 to
2005
|
2
registered investment
companies
consisting
of 2 portfolios
|
None
|
David
B. Chemidlin (50)***
67
Glen Eagle Drive
Watchung
New
Jersey 07060
|
Class
III
Director
|
Director
since
2006
|
Corporate
Controller, Advance Magazine Publishers, Inc. (d/b/a Conde Nast)
since
1995.
|
2
registered investment companies consisting of 2 portfolios
|
None
|
*
|
Each
Class III Director serves for a three-year term expiring at the Annual
Meeting of Shareholders to be held in 2009 and until his successor
is
elected and qualified or until his earlier resignation or
removal.
|
**
|
In
addition to the Fund, the “Fund Complex” includes Korea Equity Fund,
Inc.
|
***
|
Each
Class III Director is also a director of Korea Equity Fund, Inc.
for which
NAM–U.S.A. acts as manager and NAM acts as investment adviser, and is
a
member of the Audit and Nominating Committees of Korea Equity Fund,
Inc.
and a member of the Audit and Nominating Committees of the
Fund.
|
Submitted
by the Audit Committee of the Board of
Directors
of the Fund
William
G. Barker, Jr.
Rodney
A. Buck
David
B. Chemidlin
Chor
Weng Tan
John
F. Wallace
|
Name
of Director
|
Aggregate
Compensation
from
Fund for
its
Fiscal Year Ended
February
28, 2007
|
Pension
or Retirement
Benefit
Accrued as Part of
Fund
Expenses for its
Fiscal
Year Ended
February
28, 2007
|
Aggregate
Compensation from
Fund
Complex Paid to
Directors
During the
Calendar
Year Ended
December
31, 2006*
|
William
G. Barker, Jr.
|
$27,000
|
None
|
$54,500
|
Rodney
A. Buck**
|
8,342
|
None
|
14,397
|
David
B. Chemidlin**
|
5,863
|
None
|
8,438
|
William
K. Grollman***
|
18,000
|
None
|
36,500
|
Chor
Weng Tan
|
22,000
|
None
|
44,500
|
Arthur
R. Taylor***
|
19,000
|
None
|
37,500
|
Hiroshi
Terasaki**
|
-
|
None
|
-
|
John
F. Wallace
|
22,000
|
None
|
44,500
|
*
|
In
addition to the Fund, the “Fund Complex” includes Korea Equity Fund, Inc.
Because the funds in the Fund Complex do not share a common fiscal
year,
the information relating to compensation from the Fund Complex paid
to the
Directors is provided as of December 31,
2006.
|
**
|
Messrs.
Buck, Chemidlin and Terasaki were elected Directors of the Fund effective
November 18, 2006, November 8, 2006, and June 20, 2005,
respectively.
|
***
|
The
directorship terms of Messrs. Grollman and Taylor expired effective
November 18, 2006.
|
Name,
Address* and
Age
of Officers
|
Position(s)
Held
with
the Fund
|
Term
of Office** and
Length
of Time Served
|
Principal
Occupation(s)
During
Past Five Years
|
Shigeru
Shinohara (45)
|
President
|
President
since 2007
|
President
of NAM-U.S.A. since 2007; Executive Vice President of Nomura Corporate
Research and Asset Management Inc. from 2006 to 2007; previously,
Chief
Fund Analyst at Nomura Funds Research and Technologies Co.,
Ltd.
|
Kenneth
L. Munt (60)
|
Vice
President
|
Vice
President since 2001
|
Managing
Director of NAM-U.S.A. since 2007 and Secretary since
1999.
|
Rita
Chopra-Brathwaite (38)
|
Treasurer
|
Treasurer
since 2002
|
Senior
Vice President of NAM-U.S.A. since 2007 and Vice President from 2001
to
2007.
|
Neil
Daniele (47)
|
Secretary
|
Secretary
since 2002
|
Managing
Director and Chief Compliance Officer of NAM-U.S.A. since 2007; Senior
Vice President of NAM-U.S.A. from 2002 to 2007; Vice President and
Compliance Officer of Munich Re Capital Management Corp. (asset management
firm) from 2001 to 2002.
|
*
|
The
address of each officer listed above is Two World Financial Center,
Building B, New York, New York
10281.
|
**
|
Elected
by and serves at the pleasure of the Board of
Directors.
|
Name
of Continuing
Directors
and Nominees
|
Shares
of Common
Stock
of the Fund
Beneficially
Owned
|
Aggregate
Dollar Range
of
Equity Securities
in
the Fund
|
Aggregate
Dollar Range of
Securities
in All Registered
Funds
in the Fund Complex
Overseen
by Director Nominee
|
Continuing
Directors
|
|||
Rodney
A.
Buck
|
2,000
|
$10,001-$50,000
|
$50,001-$100,000
|
David
B.
Chemdlin
|
-
|
None
|
None
|
Shigeru
Shinohara
|
-
|
None
|
None
|
Chor
Weng
Tan
|
2,340
|
$10,001-$50,000
|
Over
$100,000
|
Nominees
|
|||
William
G. Barker,
Jr.
|
-
|
None
|
None
|
John
F.
Wallace
|
2,211
|
$10,001-$50,000
|
$50,001-$100,000
|
Fiscal
Year End
|
Audit
Fees
Charged
to
the
Fund
|
Audit
Related
Fees
|
Tax
Fees
|
Financial
Information
Systems
Design and
Implementation
Fees
|
All
Other Fees
|
February
28, 2006
|
$65,000
|
$9,000
|
$1,000
|
$0
|
$0
|
February
28, 2007
|
$68,000
|
$9,500
|
$1,000
|
$0
|
$0
|
By
Order of the Board of Directors
Neil
A. Daniele
Secretary
|
|
(a)
|
each
of whom shall not be an “interested person” of the Fund, as defined in
Section 2(a)(19) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as
amended;
|
|
(b)
|
each
of whom shall not accept directly or indirectly any consulting, advisory,
or other compensatory fee from the Fund (other than in his or her
capacity
as a member of the Board of Directors or any committee thereof) or
have
any other relationship to the Fund or Nomura Asset Management U.S.A.
Inc.
or its affiliates that may interfere with the exercise of such person’s
independence from the Fund and Fund
management;
|
|
(c)
|
each
of whom shall otherwise satisfy the applicable independence requirements
for any stock exchange on which Fund shares are
listed;
|
|
(d)
|
each
of whom shall be financially literate, as such qualification is
interpreted by the Board of Directors in its business judgment, or
shall
become financially literate within a reasonable period of time after
his
or her appointment to the Audit Committee;
and
|
|
(e)
|
at
least one of whom shall have accounting or related financial management
expertise, as the Board of Directors interprets such qualification
in its
business judgment.
|
|
(a)
|
upon
submission of an application form by the Fund’s independent public
accountants to the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, to
request
(i) a copy of such application form; (ii) any material amendments
to such
application form; and (iii) the written findings of the Public Company
Accounting Oversight Board in connection with that Board’s inspection of
the Fund’s independent accountants;
|
|
(b)
|
to
preapprove all auditing services to be provided to the Fund by the
Fund’s
independent accountants1;
|
|
(c)
|
to
preapprove all non-audit services, including tax services, to be
provided
to the Fund by the Fund’s independent accountants in accordance with the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”); provided,
however, that the preapproval requirement with respect to the provision
of
non-audit services to the Fund by the Fund’s independent accountants may
be waived by the Audit Committee under the circumstances described
in the
1934 Act;2
|
|
(d)
|
to
preapprove non-audit services to be provided to the Fund’s investment
adviser (and any entity controlling, controlled by or under common
control
with the investment adviser that provides ongoing services to the
Fund) if
the engagement relates directly to the operations and financial reporting
of the Fund;
|
|
(e)
|
to
ensure that the Fund’s independent accountants submit on a periodic basis
to the Audit Committee a formal written statement delineating all
relationships between such independent accountants and the Fund,
consistent with Independence Standards Board Standard No. 1, to actively
engage in a dialogue with the Fund’s independent accountants with respect
to any disclosed relationships or services that affect the objectivity
and
independence of such independent accountants and, if deemed appropriate
by
the Audit Committee, to recommend that the Board of Directors take
appropriate action in response to the report of such independent
accountants to satisfy itself of the independence of such independent
accountants;
|
|
(f)
|
to
receive and consider specific written representations from the Fund’s
independent public accountants with respect to the independence of
such
accountants, audit partner rotation, and conflicts of interest described
in Section 10A(l) of the 1934 Act, and to consider whether the provision
of any non-audit services to the Fund by the Fund’s independent
accountants as described in Section III(c) of this Audit Committee
Charter
is compatible with maintaining the independence of those
accountants;
|
|
(g)
|
to
review arrangements for annual and special audits and the scope of
such
audits with the Fund’s independent
accountants;
|
|
(h)
|
to
review and discuss the Fund’s audited financial statements with Fund
management;
|
|
(i)
|
to
discuss with the independent accountants those matters required to
be
discussed by Statement of Accounting Standards Nos. 61 and 90, as
may be
modified or supplemented, relating to the Fund’s financial statements,
including, without limitation, any adjustment to such financial statements
recommended by such independent accountants, or any other results
of any
audit;
|
|
(j)
|
to
cause to be prepared and to review and submit any report, including
any
recommendation of the Audit Committee, required to be prepared by
the
Audit Committee by rules or regulations promulgated by the SEC (“SEC
Rules”) to be included in the Fund’s annual proxy
statement;
|
|
(k)
|
to
review and discuss any report required to be reviewed by the Audit
Committee pursuant to SEC Rules, as well as any reports prepared
by the
independent accountants of the Fund with respect to all services
provided
by the independent accountants to the Fund and the Fund’s investment
adviser and the fees related to such
services;
|
|
(l)
|
to
review legal and regulatory matters presented by counsel and the
Fund’s
independent accountants that may have a material impact on the Fund’s
financial statements;
|
|
(m)
|
to
establish and administer policies and procedures relating to (i)
the
hiring of employees and former employees of the Fund’s independent
accountants and (ii) the resolution of any disagreements between
Fund
management and the Fund’s independent accountants regarding accounting
and/or financial reporting policies and
procedures;
|
|
(n)
|
to
consider with the Fund’s independent accountants their comments with
respect to the quality and adequacy of the Fund’s accounting and financial
reporting policies, practices and internal controls and management’s
responses thereto, including, without limitation, the effect on the
Fund
of any recommendation of changes in accounting principles or practices
by
management or the independent public
accountants;
|
|
(o)
|
to
receive and consider reports from the Fund’s independent accountants
regarding (i) all critical accounting policies and practices to be
used;
(ii) all alternative treatments of financial information within generally
accepted accounting principles that have been discussed with Fund
management, including the ramifications of the use of such alternative
disclosures and treatments, and the treatment preferred by the independent
accountants; (iii) other material written communications between
the
independent accountants and Fund management, such as any management
letter
or schedule of unadjusted differences; and (iv) all non-audit services
provided to any entity in the Fund’s investment company complex that were
not pre-approved by the Fund’s Audit
Committee;
|
|
(p)
|
to
receive reports from the principal executive officer and the principal
financial officer, or persons performing similar functions, regarding:
(i)
all significant deficiencies in the design or operation of Fund internal
controls that could adversely affect the Fund’s ability to record,
process, summarize, and report financial data and have identified
for the
Fund’s independent accountants any material weaknesses in internal
controls; (ii) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves
Fund
management or other employees who have a significant role in the
Fund’s
internal controls; and (iii) whether or not there have been significant
changes in the Fund’s internal controls or in other factors that could
significantly affect the Fund’s internal controls subsequent to the date
of their most recent evaluation, including any corrective actions
with
regard to significant deficiencies and material
weaknesses;
|
|
(q)
|
to
establish procedures for (i) the receipt, retention and treatment
of
complaints received by the Fund regarding accounting, internal accounting
controls, or auditing matters; and (ii) the confidential, anonymous
submission of concerns regarding questionable accounting or auditing
matters;
|
|
(r)
|
to
discuss with Fund management and the Fund’s independent accountants
policies with respect to risk assessment and risk management and
the
quality and adequacy of the Fund’s internal controls and processes that
could materially affect the Fund’s financial statements and financial
reporting;
|
|
(s)
|
to
assist the Fund, if necessary, in preparing any written affirmation
or
written certification required to be filed with any stock exchange
on
which Fund shares are listed;
|
|
(t)
|
to
review and assess the adequacy of this Audit Committee Charter on
an
annual basis and recommend any changes to the Board of Directors;
and
|
|
(u)
|
to
perform such other functions consistent with this Audit Committee
Charter,
the Fund’s Articles of Incorporation, as applicable, the Fund’s By-laws
and applicable law, as the Audit Committee or the Board of Directors
deems
necessary or appropriate.
|
|
·
|
Independent
Directors who continue to meet the criteria set forth in the Statement
of
Criteria for the Selection of Independent Directors may serve up
to the
age of 72. If an Independent Director reaches the age of 72 during
a term
of office to which he was elected prior to that date, he may complete
his
term but, upon the expiration of his term, shall not be re-nominated
to
serve another term and shall voluntarily resign from the
Board.
|
|
·
|
Any
Independent Director serving on the Board prior to July 2006 is expressly
grandfathered from the basic retirement policy established above.
Such
Independent Director may serve up to the age of 82 if, in the judgment
of
the Nominating Committee, he continues to meet the criteria set forth
in
the Statement of Criteria for the Selection of Independent Directors,
and
is able to participate fully in the Board’s responsibilities and meetings.
An Independent Director must resign at the end of the calendar year
in
which he reaches 82.
|
|
–
|
The
candidate must meet the definition of an Independent Director and
have no
material relationships that could create any appearance of impropriety
with respect to or lack of independence from Nomura Asset Management
U.S.A. Inc. or any of its
affiliates.
|
|
–
|
The
candidate must have the integrity, independence of mind and personal
qualities to fulfill the fiduciary duties of an Independent Director
of
the Fund and to protect the interests of Fund
shareholders.
|
|
–
|
The
candidate needs to have corporate or other business experience in
significant positions demonstrating sound business
judgment.
|
|
–
|
The
candidate should have financial and accounting experience and at
least one
Independent Director should qualify as an “Audit Committee Financial
Expert.”
|
|
–
|
The
candidate should have the ability to attend at least four regular
meetings
a year.
|
|
–
|
The
candidate should add to the balance of experience of the present
Independent Directors. Familiarity with the Asian markets in which
the
Fund invests is desirable.
|
Change
of Address– Please print new address below.
|
Comments–
Please print your comments below.
|
|
ý
|
PLEASE
MARK VOTES
|
The
Board of Directors Recommends a Vote “For” All Class I Director
Nominees
|
For
All Nominees ¨
|
Withhold
¨
|
For
All Nominees
Except
¨
|
For
¨
|
Against
¨
|
Abstain
¨
|