Neurological, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings were recorded from 13 patients with Japanese encephalitis (JE) in the Kurume region diagnosed by serological criteria. The patients averaged 63 years of age, and 5 were older than 70 years. The serological data mostly indicated a primary response. Hemiplegia and tetraplegia were common, together with extrapyramidal signs. A few cases had a stroke-like onset and cerebral haemorrhage during the course of JE. CT and MRI in 7 cases revealed abnormalities in the thalamus and basal ganglia including the putamen. The CT and MRI findings from the acute stage to the convalescent stage were considered to be characteristic of JE.