Asahi System Outage Spreads to Year-End Gifts

Oct 21, 2025 | News On Japan

TOKYO - A prolonged system failure caused by a cyberattack at Asahi Group Holdings is now rippling into Japan’s year-end gift season, forcing major brewers to scale back their offerings.

Kirin Brewery announced that it will suspend sales of 14 types of gift sets, including the “Hare Kaze Set” launched earlier this month and a “Family Set” that combines its Ichiban Shibori beer with Tropicana juice. The company said that demand for these products has surged beyond expectations due to disruptions caused by Asahi’s system outage. To prioritize stable supply of its regular products, Kirin decided to temporarily halt gift set sales.

Orders already placed will still be fulfilled, but future offerings will be limited to three gift products consisting only of Ichiban Shibori beer.

The impact of Asahi’s system troubles is spreading across the industry. Last week, both Suntory and Sapporo also announced partial suspensions of their year-end gift lineups, highlighting how the fallout from the cyberattack is now affecting the crucial year-end sales period.

Floods, Landslides Batter Ishikawa and Toyama

Record-breaking rainfall struck Ishikawa and Toyama prefectures on August 27, triggering temporary Level 5 heavy rain emergency warnings as rivers overflowed, roads and homes flooded, landslides damaged communities and hundreds of households were temporarily isolated, with further warning-level rainfall forecast through the morning of August 28.

Kyushu Shinkansen to Fully Reopen on September 18

JR Kyushu plans to restore full service on the Kyushu Shinkansen from the first train on September 18, nearly two months after the Kumamoto earthquake caused extensive damage to tracks and stations and forced the suspension of services on part of the line.

Nine-Minute Drone Video Shows Scale of Aeon Mall Damage

A 9-minute, 13-second drone video filmed inside Aeon Mall Kumamoto two days after the deadly explosion has provided a detailed view of the destruction, showing collapsed ceilings, heavy dust and widespread damage that may have affected between one-third and nearly half of the shopping center.

Conditions Ease as Typhoon No. 18 Passes Okinawa

Strong Typhoon No. 18 was moving northwest through the East China Sea on the night of August 26, gradually pulling away from Okinawa and the Amami Islands as lingering rain, strong winds and high waves were expected to ease. As of 9 p.m. on August 26, the typhoon was over waters north-northwest of Kume Island and moving northwest.

Mystery Deepens with 39 Kg Bread Trail Across Tottori

A series of mysterious illegal dumping incidents involving about 39 kilograms of sliced bread has been reported around Mount Daisen and other parts of Tottori Prefecture in August, with officials investigating whether the food may have been deliberately placed to attract wild animals.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Business NEWS

Nikkei Slips as Nvidia Rally Fades Into Profit-Taking

Tokyo stocks slipped on August 27, with the Nikkei 225 closing at 66,131.98, down 130.18 points, as early buying in artificial intelligence and semiconductor-related shares following Nvidia’s strong earnings forecast faded into profit-taking, while the broader TOPIX edged higher for a sixth straight session.

Seven-Eleven Installs Self-Service Shipping Machines

Seven-Eleven Japan and Yamato Transport announced on August 26 that they will introduce self-service shipping machines allowing customers to send parcels without lining up at a staffed checkout counter.

Nikkei Reclaims 66,000 as Nvidia Caution Keeps Trading Thin

Tokyo stocks rose on August 26, with the Nikkei 225 closing at 66,262.16, up 405.73 points, or 0.62%, as investors bought back selected semiconductor and financial shares, although trading was thin ahead of Nvidia’s earnings and uncertainty remained over artificial intelligence valuations, the yen and Bank of Japan policy.

Nikkei Falls as Nvidia Caution Hits Chip Shares

Tokyo stocks fell on August 25, with the Nikkei 225 closing at 64,980.53, down 0.8%, as investors sold semiconductor and electronics shares ahead of Nvidia’s earnings while a weak yen, elevated bond yields and renewed U.S. pressure on Iran kept risk appetite subdued.

Japan's Traditional Public Baths Feel Financial Heat

Japan's traditional neighborhood public baths are struggling with rising fuel, labor and operating costs, but unlike most businesses they cannot freely raise prices because admission fees remain regulated under a postwar price-control law introduced in 1946.

Nikkei Falls as Rising Yields Hit AI and Chip Shares

Tokyo stocks fell on August 24, with the Nikkei 225 closing at 65,528.09, down 488.27 points, or 0.74%, as global bond-yield pressure and caution ahead of Nvidia’s earnings triggered selling in artificial intelligence and semiconductor-related shares, even as the broader TOPIX edged higher.

Suzuki Unveils Kei EV Prototype With 310-Kilometer Range

Suzuki has unveiled a prototype of its first kei-class electric vehicle, the e SKY, which is scheduled to go on sale during the current fiscal year with a driving range of 310 kilometers, among the longest offered by a domestically produced kei EV.

Okinawa Taxi Drivers Seek 60% Higher Pay

Following the fare revision, a labor union representing taxi drivers in the prefecture and other groups held a news conference calling for the proportion of operating revenue paid to drivers to be raised from its current level to at least 60%.

< 2 3 4 5 >