Deposed Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori moved into a plush condominium Monday in downtown Tokyo after moving out of the home of a novelist friend, as Peruvian authorities moved to try him in court.

Fujimori, who had been living in the house of Ayako Sono in Tokyo's Ota Ward since November, moved into the condominium in Tokyo's Kioicho near Nagata-cho, the center of Japan's political world.

After taking a farewell photo with Sono and her husband, Shumon Miura, also a novelist, in the yard of their house Monday morning, Fujimori thanked the couple and said, "I have been able to meet people in various walks of life by using Japanese."

According to Sono, Fujimori spent the weekends at Sono's villa on the Miura Peninsula writing memoirs and letters. She said Fujimori has shown a rapid improvement in his command of Japanese.

"He can handle Japanese fairly effortlessly unless the conversation is abstract in nature," Sono said.

Peru's Congress has adopted a resolution stripping him of the right to run for public office for 10 years, on the grounds that he failed to execute his duties as president.

Fujimori, whose parents emigrated to Peru from Kumamoto Prefecture, has been accused of amassing illicit funds in secret bank accounts in various countries. He has repeatedly denied having such accounts.

The 62-year-old former president has refused to return to Peru to testify before a congressional commission investigating alleged slush funds controlled by his one-time close aide Vladimiro Montesinos, whose whereabouts remain unknown.

Fujimori arrived in Japan on Nov. 17 after attending an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum summit in Brunei. Three days later he submitted his resignation while in Tokyo.

The Peruvian Congress rejected his resignation and dismissed Fujimori on the grounds that he was "morally unfit" to govern.

Ferrero hits Japan

RIO DE JANEIRO (Kyodo) The acting president of the Peruvian Congress expects little help from Japan on the issue of handing over former President Alberto Fujimori, a Peruvian daily reported Sunday.

Carlos Ferrero said in an interview with La Republica that Peru must appeal for the support of the international community, including Latin American countries, as he does not expect much from negotiations with the Japanese government.

In the interview, Ferrero lashed out at the Japanese government's refusal to hand over Fujimori. "(It's) because Peru is weak, that's all. Peru is small while Japan is a big country. Big countries always abuse their power over small countries," he said.

Ferrero said nothing can be gained from bilateral negotiations. "The Latin American community and world community need to understand that Fujimori and (his former aide) Vladimiro Montesinos are enemies of democracy and must help to ensure they are tried," he said.

Ferrero, a former member of Fujimori's ruling party, sided with Fujimori's rival Alejandro Toledo in last year's presidential election. Fujimori beat Toledo to win a third term in a runoff election May 28.

Ferrero is the most powerful leader of the ruling Peru Posible party and has condemned Fujimori's rule.

Fujimori has refused to return to Peru to testify before a congressional commission investigating alleged slush funds controlled by Montesinos.

There is no extradition treaty between Japan and Peru. Last December, the Japanese government declared Fujimori has Japanese citizenship and can stay in Japan indefinitely.