Japan banned imports of French pork and pork products Wednesday following the confirmation of a case of foot-and-mouth disease Tuesday in France, Agriculture Ministry officials said.
Japan had previously imposed a similar ban on British pork and pork products because of the disease.
The Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry has intensified its monitoring of imported meat as the disease continues to spread across continental Europe after breaking out in Britain last month.
As foot-and-mouth disease is highly contagious, the ministry will immediately ban imports of related products from any country in which a case of the disease is confirmed, the officials said.
No instances of foot-and-mouth disease have been reported in Japan this year. Last year, however, the disease broke out in Hokkaido and Miyazaki Prefecture for the first time in 92 years.
It is believed to have been carried into Japan via plants imported from China.
Following the discovery, livestock in the relevant areas were slaughtered, and the government strengthened hygiene controls in related industries.
The eradication of the disease was confirmed in June.
However, Japanese officials have remained alert for outbreaks overseas and have resorted to clamping down on imports, given the disease's highly infectious nature.