TOKYO, Japan: Asahi, best known for its Super Dry beer, Nikka Whisky, and a range of soft drinks, shut down order processing, shipping, and call centres this week when a system outage hit its domestic operations. The disruption entered its fifth day on October 3, with no clear timeline for recovery.

The company began partial workarounds midweek, sending staff in person to take handwritten orders. It resumed shipping on October 3 for a limited batch of manually processed orders, prioritising food and non-alcoholic beverages over its alcohol lineup. Orders for beer and spirits remain paused, though Asahi said they are working closely with authorities investigating the cyberattack.

The shortage is already being felt in Tokyo. Kushiyaki Tosaka, a restaurant that exclusively serves Asahi beer, said its last keg of Super Dry was nearly empty. A supplier had delivered beer from rival Sapporo the day before. “It’s a bit of a problem,” said chef Tomiko Yano. “We specialise in yakitori, and it pairs really well with Super Dry. A lot of customers say that, so I’m a little worried.”

Convenience store chains are bracing for gaps on their shelves. Lawson said it expected shortages soon and was preparing to substitute rival brands. FamilyMart and 7-Eleven confirmed they were also affected by the supply disruption.

The outage highlights Japan’s food and beverage industry’s vulnerability to cyber threats. While details of the attack remain undisclosed, experts say disruptions to major suppliers can quickly ripple through restaurants, retail chains, and consumers.