It's been weeks since Japan ditched its import ban on U.S. beef and the first shipment went on sale, but American beef is nowhere to be seen at supermarkets here -- except for the five Costco stores.
Many people are worried about the safety of U.S. beef. Retailers say they aren't about to waste their time carrying an unpopular product. Instead, meat-section shelves are filled with domestic and Australia beef.
Japan was once the top destination for U.S. beef, importing $1.4 billion worth a year. But that was before the decision in December 2003 to ban American beef imports after the first case of mad cow disease in the U.S.