FAS/Tokyo projects 2023 cattle stocks to expand to 3.995 million metric tons (MT) following increased production in 2021 and 2022. In the dairy sector, cow slaughter continues to increase in 2022 to adjust for excess capacity and overproduction of milk. FAS/Tokyo forecasts 2023 beef production to remain flat from 2022 at 490,000 MT. Food service demand is slowly recovering from COVID-19 related demand shocks, but higher retail prices for beef imports are shifting some consumption from beef to pork. FAS/Tokyo projects Japan’s 2023 pork production to increase to 1.305 million MT and for imports to remain flat at 1.485 million MT.