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 reserve most stock for larger clients.
Nationwide beer production grinds to a halt
Asahi, Japan’s largest beer producer, stopped 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, sharply reducing delivery volumes.
Asahi supplies roughly 40% of Japan’s beer market, so bars, restaurants, and retailers are facing major disruptions. The company apologised for the inconvenience but has not provided a timeline for full recovery.
Retailers struggle as stock runs low
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 continue for 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 provides a platform for others to launch cyber-attacks in exchange for a share of extortion profits. Asahi has not disclosed full details but confirmed leaked company data appeared online.
Global cyber threats continue to rise
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 weaknesses revealed
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 vows 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.
