KFC Japan, major sushi chain fear shortages after cyberattack

TOKYO: A cyberattack against a major frozen food maker in Japan has prompted businesses such as Kentucky Fried Chicken and a popular sushi chain to warn of possible shortages and even store closures.

Nichirei, Japan's top frozen food supplier, said on Wednesday (Jul 15) that it "came under a cyberattack", disrupting subsidiaries' operations including making deliveries to clients.

The company did not share details of the attack, which Nichirei first disclosed in a statement on Monday that mentioned "system failures caused by unauthorised access".

The disruption could affect large parts of Japan's food sector as Nichirei also provides temperature-controlled logistics services to a wide range of businesses.

Supermarkets have already been hit by shortages, local media said, reporting that pastry chefs and elderly care centres have also been impacted.

Kura Sushi Inc, a popular rotary sushi chain with nearly 700 locations in Japan and abroad, said on Wednesday that its stores in the country's west were experiencing shipment delays for some products.

Kentucky Fried Chicken Japan warned on Tuesday that its restaurants could face shortages that might force the chain to take some items off the menu or temporarily close stores.

Nichirei said in its Monday statement that it was "investigating and taking measures to restore the systems", adding that it planned to gradually resume the disrupted operations starting Friday.

This is the latest case of a cyberattack disrupting the operations of a major Japanese firm.

Last year beer giant Asahi was hit by a ransomware attack that disrupted its ability to receive orders and ship products, weeks after retailer Muji had suspended online shopping in Japan after a ransomware attack on its delivery partner Askul.