Japan Faces Asahi Beer Shortage After Cyber-Attack

Tokyo: Japan is grappling with a shortage of Asahi products, including its famous Super Dry beer and bottled teas, after a major cyber-attack disrupted the company’s systems this week. Most of Asahi Group’s factories in the country have been at a standstill since Monday, bringing production and distribution to a halt.

The attack has crippled Asahi’s ordering and delivery systems, forcing the brewer to rely on limited manual processing. Major retailers like 7-Eleven, FamilyMart and Lawson have warned customers that stocks of Asahi products will be low or even unavailable in the coming days.

Cyber-Attack Stalls Japan’s Biggest Brewer

Asahi, Japan’s largest brewer and a global player with brands such as Peroni, Pilsner Urquell and Grolsch, has stressed that the incident has only affected its Japanese operations. Still, that is no small blow Japan accounts for nearly half of the company’s total sales.

In a statement, Asahi admitted it has no clear timeline for recovery. While system-based order and shipment processes remain suspended, the company has begun “partial manual” shipments and plans to reopen its call centre next week. It also revealed that it cannot currently receive external emails, adding to the communication breakdown.

Retailers Brace for Empty Shelves

Convenience store giant 7-Eleven has already stopped shipments of Asahi products across Japan, warning its outlets to expect shortages. FamilyMart said its popular Famimaru bottled teas produced by Asahi would be in short supply or completely unavailable, while Lawson announced it would stock up on alternatives to cushion the impact on customers. Supermarket chain Life Cooperation also expects Asahi products to soon go out of stock.

This ripple effect shows how deeply embedded Asahi is in Japan’s consumer life. From beer to bottled tea, Asahi products occupy prime shelf space, and their sudden disappearance will be immediately felt by households and casual drinkers alike.

Asahi’s Leadership Apologises

Atsushi Katsuki, Asahi’s president and group CEO, apologised for the disruption, saying the company was making every effort to restore operations. “We are making every effort to restore the system as quickly as possible, while implementing alternative measures to ensure continued product supply to our customers,” he said.

The apology may reassure some, but in a country where convenience and reliability are king, even temporary shortages can test consumer patience. For now, Asahi is in damage control mode, balancing containment measures, manual shipments, and strained retailer relationships.

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Opinion: A Sobering Reminder of Cyber Risks

This crisis underlines a bigger issue: Japan’s vulnerability to cyber-attacks on critical industries. A single breach has not only frozen a major corporation but also shaken everyday retail supply chains. For consumers, it’s an inconvenience. For Asahi, it’s a reputational test. And for Japan’s corporate sector, it’s a wake-up call.

Beer shortages might sound like a minor problem on the surface, but they expose the fragile backbone of a hyper-connected economy. In the coming weeks, whether Asahi can regain consumer trust may matter just as much as when it restores its systems.