I've got the same problem.

- Instead of japanese characters I only get square boxes. But searching for files somehow works although I can't download them. (When I click on them a broken file symbol appears.)
- My system's 98 but I installed Microsoft's Global IME and I also managed to find/install both MS Mincho and MS Gothic to get japanese language support.
- I'm from Germany and although I can enter German characters I cannot donwload files with German characters which seems quite odd to me.
- Java is 1.5.03- however, I'm still working on installing 1.5.07 since I've got no idea how to give myself administrator status. (It's required when installing.)
- Japanese is not among the languages I can choose to view Limewire with and I have the latest version.
- I tried to add japanese to my IME but somehow it's not listed.

Help? I have been working on this prob for the rest of the evening and just don't manage to find a solution.