Seven & i Holdings Co. and other retailers in Japan are warning customers of possible Asahi Super Dry beer shortages after a cyberattack paralyzed production and distribution at Asahi Group Holdings Ltd.
Shoppers at some 7-Eleven stores are seeing notices that shipments of the country’s most popular beer had been suspended, as well as for Mitsuya Cider soda and private brand products such as Seven Premium Clear Cooler. That’s as Lawson Inc. and Familymart Co. warned products from Asahi, which also offers food and other beverages, might become scarce starting Friday.
The disruption underscores how vulnerable Japanese companies and their intricate logistical and digital supply chains are to a single cyberattack that can ripple from factory floors to convenience store shelves.
“The fact that a big company like this is taking so long to recover shows their preparation was inadequate,” said Nobuo Miwa, representative director at security firm S ＆Ｊ Corp. “This should’ve been anticipated and planned for.”
Asahi halted production at the vast majority of its 30 factories on Monday after a cyberattack hobbled its ordering and delivery system. As of Thursday evening, Asahi had no timeline for when it would be able to get its systems back online. The incident is under investigation as a possible ransomware attack.
“The attack’s moved past defenses in office systems and factories and got into the logistics system,” Miwa said. “That means the attackers got in very deep — deeper than what they expected.”
The time it’s taking to get systems back online is weighing on Asahi’s shares, which are down around 12% this week. Asahi competes with Kirin Holdings Co. and Suntory Beverage & Food Ltd. in a cut-throat and saturated Japanese market.
There were 116 reported ransomware cases in Japan in the first half of 2025, matching the six-month record set in the second half of 2022, according to the National Police Agency.
Most soft drinks at 7-Eleven stores are supplied from dedicated inventory hubs, so the immediate impact is limited, a Seven & i representative said. But in places such as an e-commerce site run by Aeon supermarket, sales of Asahi Beer and Asahi Soft Drink products have been temporarily suspended.
Marugen Ramen chain operator Monogatari Corp. said it may switch to Suntory or other beer brands if Asahi inventory runs out. Kisoji Co., a shabu-shabu restaurant chain, is also considering a switch to Suntory or Kirin, although it’s now working to liquor wholesalers to secure stock.
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