Only four bottles of Asahi Super Dry remain at Ben Thai, a small restaurant in Tokyo’s Sengawacho district. Owner Sakaolath Sugizaki hopes for new deliveries soon, but suppliers keep most stock for larger clients.
Nationwide beer production comes to a standstill
Asahi, Japan’s largest beer producer, halted operations at most of its 30 factories last month after a cyber-attack. All facilities, including six breweries, have partially reopened, but computer systems remain offline. The company now handles orders and shipments manually using pen, paper, and fax machines, drastically reducing deliveries.
Asahi supplies about 40% of Japan’s beer market, so bars, restaurants, and retailers face major disruptions. The company apologised for the inconvenience but has not given a timeline for full recovery.
Retailers struggle with dwindling inventory
Supermarkets and convenience stores in Tokyo and Hokkaido report selling remaining Asahi products while unable to place new orders. Shortages affect beer, soft drinks, and other items.
Liquor store owner Hisako Arisawa in Tokyo receives only a few bottles of Super Dry at a time. She expects shortages to last at least a month and struggles to stock ginger beer and soda water.
Convenience chains warn of limited supply
FamilyMart said its Famimaru bottled teas, made by Asahi, may run out soon. 7-Eleven halted shipments of Asahi products, while Lawson also predicts shortages.
Wholesaler Mr. Nakano now receives only 10–20% of his usual orders. He places requests by hand and receives delivery notifications via fax when trucks leave Asahi factories.
European operations remain unaffected
Asahi owns European brands including Peroni, Grolsch, and the British brewer Fuller’s. The company confirmed overseas operations remain untouched.
Ransomware group Qilin claimed responsibility for the attack. The group allows others to launch cyber-attacks in exchange for a share of extortion profits. Asahi has not revealed full details but confirmed leaked company data appeared online.
Rising global cyber threats
The Asahi attack follows a series of international cyber incidents. Jaguar Land Rover and Marks and Spencer suffered breaches this year. In September, ransomware disrupted check-in systems at multiple European airports.
Japan has also faced cyber-attacks. A strike froze operations at Nagoya’s container terminal for three days in 2024. Hackers targeted Japan Airlines last Christmas, causing delays and cancellations.
Japan’s cybersecurity gaps exposed
Despite its high-tech image, Japan struggles with cybersecurity. Experts cite a shortage of trained specialists and low digital literacy in many firms. The country only abandoned floppy disks for government paperwork last year, decades after other nations.
Cartan McLaughlin from Nihon Cyber Defence Group said Japan’s reliance on outdated systems and strong social trust makes it vulnerable. Many organisations are unprepared and willing to pay ransoms, attracting hackers.
Government pledges stronger defenses
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi confirmed investigations into the Asahi attack and pledged to strengthen national cyber capabilities. Japan passed the Active Cyber Defense Law earlier this year, giving authorities more powers to counter hackers.
The law allows better information sharing with companies and authorises police and the Self-Defense Forces to take offensive action against criminal servers.
Small businesses face uncertainty
For small businesses like Ben Thai, these measures offer little relief. Owner Sakaolath worries about her next Super Dry delivery. Across Japan, restaurant and bar owners face the same uncertainty as Asahi works to recover.
