Japan's Asahi Beer Faces Shortage Amid Cyber-Attack Fallout

Tue Oct 14 2025 11:43:50 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

A major cyber-attack has temporarily crippled operations at Asahi, Japan's largest brewer, leading to shortages of its popular beer and bottled tea products.

Japan is currently experiencing a shortage of Asahi products, including beer and bottled tea, due to a significant cyber-attack that has disrupted the company's operations. Most of Asahi's factories have been halted, affecting ordering and delivery systems. Major retailers such as 7-Eleven and FamilyMart have warned consumers of the impending shortages as recovery processes are being implemented. Asahi is prioritizing the restoration of supply through manual processing while working to return to full operational capacity.

Japan is facing a shortage of Asahi products, including beer and bottled tea, as the drinks giant grapples with the impact of a major cyber-attack that has affected its operations in the country.

Most of the Asahi Group's factories in Japan have been at a standstill since Monday, after the attack hit its ordering and delivering systems.

Major Japanese retailers, including 7-Eleven and FamilyMart, have now warned customers to expect shortages of Asahi products.

In a statement on Friday, Asahi said it was unable to provide a clear timeline for recovery but had started partial manual processing of orders and shipments.

as the biggest brewer in Japan, Asahi also produces soft drinks and food products and supplies own-brand goods to other retailers. It owns Fullers in the UK and global brands including Peroni, Pilsner Urquell, and Grolsch. However, only its operations in Japan—which account for about half its sales—have been affected by the attack.

Asahi noted that as a result of containment measures post-attack, its ordering and shipment systems have been hampered and it cannot receive emails from external sources.

Though system-based order and shipment processes remain suspended, ensuring product supply to customers is top priority, and the company has initiated partial manual order processing and shipment.

Asahi is also preparing to reopen its call center operations next week. Atsushi Katsuki, the company president and chief executive, issued an apology for the disruption.

On Thursday, FamilyMart - one of Japan's largest convenience stores - announced its Famimaru range of bottled teas, made by Asahi, would likely be in short supply or out of stock.

We sincerely apologize to our customers for any inconvenience caused, FamilyMart stated, adding it was working with Asahi to resume sales of the products.

7-Eleven has halted shipments in the country of Asahi products, including the popular Super Dry beer. A spokesperson for 7-Eleven stated shops were advised to expect a shortage.

Lawson, another major retail chain, also expects some Asahi products to run short from Friday. It plans to stock alternative products to mitigate customer impact, while Life Cooperation, a supermarket chain, also warned that supplies of Asahi products may soon dwindle.

Additional reporting by Chika Nakayama in Tokyo