In this paper, the problem of electromagnetic coupling between a slit fed by a flanged parallel-plate waveguide (FPPW) and a nearby conducting strip parallel to the slit is studied as a simplified problem for a near-field scanning microscopy (NSM). The characteristics of the FPPW are investigated from the results for the variations of the equivalent slit admittance, the reactive powers near the slit inside and outside the FPPW, the magnitude and phase of the voltage reflection coefficient of the TEM wave. The performance of the proposed apparatus as an NSM is tested by examining the effects of various geometrical parameters such as guide height, slit width, strip width, distance between slit and strip, and the ratio of slit width to guide height on the magnitude and phase of the voltage reflection coefficient of the TEM wave. From the results for the voltage reflection coefficient against the strip offset from the slit, it is found that a slit in the FPPW with smaller guide height gives higher scanning resolution and the phase variation is more sensitive than the magnitude variation.