Objective: The relationship between water-holding capacity (WHC) and intermuscular fat (IMF) was studied in Japanese commercial pork. Methods: Longissimus muscles of pigs (n = 62), obtained from two meat packing plants, were analyzed for IMF content, moisture content, drip loss, cooking loss, and pH. Pairwise relationships among these traits were determined using correlation analyses. Results: IMF content was significantly correlated with moisture content (r = -0.88
p&lt
0.01) and pH (r = 0.32
p&lt
0.05), but not with drip loss (r = -0.23
p = 0.07) or cooking loss (r = -0.10
p = 0.42). In contrast, drip loss was significantly (and negatively) correlated with pH (r = -0.57
p&lt
0.01). Conclusion: IMF content was not significantly correlated with WHC in pork, and so ultimately, we consider pH to be one of the most important factors influencing WHC in pork meat.