In 2000, Canada was the fourth largest food exporter to Japan. Canada’s surplus of grain, barley-fed pork, geography, and quality makes Canada prime for exporting pork to Japan. The Japanese value quality, price, service, supply, and long-term business relationships. Japans meat self-sufficiency has been declining while preference for “western-style” foods (rather than fish) have been increasing, which makes import pork more attractive than domestic pork. Japan’s pork market values meat firmness, taste, and quality. In 2000 Japan imported 42.2% of its total consumption from (primarily) Canada, Denmark, and the US. Canadian pork can be differentiated from competitors via the fact that barley fed pork has greater value and by using brand names (based on freshness, fat trimming, weight range, amount of purge, quality and consistency). To comply with Japans picky market, producers must produce what the market wants rather than what they want to sell. Chilled pork desires include less than 1.3 cm of inter-muscular fat in the belly, thin sliced shoulders and hams, and a strict carcass freshness standard. Frozen pork is typically used for processing purposes. To improve competitiveness in quality and price, a high-value brand should be created and marketed (improve freshness, security, cutting, and packing methods). International diversification of business, exporting chilled and frozen pork, production of hogs for the Japan market, and an effective promotion of barley fed pork can all help to improve competitiveness and price.