For the past week, Japan’s beverage giant Asahi Group Holdings has been grappling with a crippling cyberattack that has sent shockwaves through the country’s retail landscape and raised fresh concerns about cybersecurity in the food and beverage sector. The incident, which began on Monday, September 29, 2025, has left Asahi’s Japanese operations in disarray, with factories shuttered, supply chains snarled, and consumers facing empty shelves for some of the nation’s most popular beers and soft drinks.
According to the Associated Press, Asahi’s computer systems were struck by a cyberattack that caused widespread glitches affecting orders, shipments, and a customer call center across Japan. The disruptions have now entered their fifth day, with the company still unable to fully restore normal operations. Overseas systems, including European breweries such as Fullers, London Pride, Cornish Orchards, and Dark Star in the United Kingdom, have continued to function normally, but the domestic market—where Asahi generates roughly half its total revenue—has been severely impacted.
Major retailers, including FamilyMart and 7-Eleven, have reported that shelves are clearing out as supplies of Asahi beer, soft drinks, bottled tea, and other products dwindle. As reported by Devdiscourse, the company’s ordering and distribution systems have been so thoroughly compromised that orders and deliveries have been suspended outright. In a bid to mitigate the chaos, Asahi’s staff have resorted to manual data entry and emergency shipments, but these efforts have provided only limited relief. A company spokeswoman told the Associated Press on Friday that “the problem had still not been fixed, though some emergency shipments were made on Wednesday, with employees entering information into computer systems manually.”
Japanese media have described scenes of scarcity in stores, with some locations already selling out of Asahi beverages. At a 7-Eleven in Tokyo visited by an AP reporter, plenty of Asahi beer remained available as of Friday evening, but staff warned that stocks were expected to run low soon. The situation is fluid, and the company has been forced to cancel events and delay the launch of new products as it works to resolve the crisis.
The cause and motive of the cyberattack remain under investigation, with Asahi declining to comment on the specifics. Some Japanese media outlets have speculated that ransomware may be involved, but as of October 3, 2025, the company has not confirmed this. “The cause and motive of the attacks were still under investigation,” the spokeswoman reiterated to the Associated Press, declining to provide further details and requesting anonymity—a customary practice for Japanese companies facing sensitive issues.
The attack could not have come at a worse time for Asahi. As Japan’s largest brewer and a major player in the global beverage industry, the company had previously identified cyberattacks as one of its most significant short- and medium-term risks in its annual risk reports. It warned that such incidents could lead to cash flow problems and reputational damage, both of which now loom large as the company scrambles to restore its systems and reassure customers and business partners.
So far, there is a small silver lining: no personal or company data leaks have been detected. SecurityWeek notes that, as of October 3, 2025, “no personal data has been found to have been leaked, nor has any company data been disclosed.” Nevertheless, the operational paralysis has highlighted the vulnerabilities inherent in highly digitized supply chains and the potential for cybercriminals to disrupt even the most established companies.
Asahi’s troubles have not gone unnoticed by competitors, who may be poised to benefit from the temporary absence of the market leader. While Asahi’s European breweries continue to operate without interruption, the Japanese market is left scrambling. For consumers, the impact is immediate and tangible: fewer choices on store shelves and uncertainty about when their favorite drinks will return.
The company’s public response has been one of apology and caution. Asahi has expressed regret to customers and business partners for the disruptions, emphasizing that the problems are limited to its Japanese operations. The company has also assured the public that it is actively working on recovery, though it has not provided a timeline for when deliveries and normal service will resume. “It’s unclear when the system will be back up and running,” Asahi told the Associated Press, adding that the company is doing everything possible to restore operations.
Founded in 1949, Asahi Group Holdings is a household name in Japan and abroad, best known for its Super Dry rice lager, as well as cider, juices, baby food, candy, and a range of other food products. Its influence on Japanese culture and daily life is hard to overstate—making the current shortage all the more significant for both consumers and the broader retail sector.
The cyberattack has also prompted a broader conversation about the state of cybersecurity in Japan’s critical industries. While cyberattacks on financial institutions and government agencies often make headlines, the Asahi incident serves as a stark reminder that the food and beverage sector is not immune to such threats. As companies become more reliant on interconnected digital systems to manage everything from logistics to customer service, the potential attack surface for cybercriminals continues to expand.
Industry analysts suggest that the Asahi attack could serve as a wake-up call for other companies, both in Japan and internationally, to reassess their cybersecurity protocols and invest in more robust defenses. The incident also raises questions about the preparedness of Japanese firms to handle large-scale digital disruptions—especially in sectors where downtime can lead to immediate consumer impact and swift shifts in market share.
For now, Asahi’s focus remains on recovery. The company has not released any technical details about the type of attack or the malware used, keeping both the public and industry watchers in suspense. Meanwhile, Japanese consumers are left to cope with the fallout, hoping that their favorite drinks will be back on shelves before long. The story is a vivid illustration of how, in today’s interconnected world, a single cyberattack can ripple across an entire industry, affecting everything from supply chains to the everyday choices of millions.
As the investigation continues and Asahi works to get its systems back online, the company’s experience stands as a cautionary tale—and a call to action—for businesses everywhere. The coming days will reveal whether Japan’s beverage titan can bounce back quickly, or whether this cyberattack will leave a lasting mark on its storied legacy.
