Japan could be hours away from running out of Asahi

Japan could be hours away from running out of Asahi, the country's most popular beer.

Dozens of factories nationwide have ground to a halt following a cyber attack on Monday. The breach disabled the company's ordering and delivery systems - and also took its call centre operations offline.

Supermarkets and Japanese pubs known as izakayas risk running super dry, with some retailers raising fears of potential panic buying. According to NHK, Asahi Group has now had to suspend plans to launch new products including soft drinks, coffee and throat lozenges.

One wholesaler expects to run out of beer kegs by Saturday at the latest, meaning they'll no longer be able to supply booze to retailers. They are now considering whether to start selling other brands as a temporary measure.

Akira Kudo, who runs an izakaya in Tokyo, has been told that one of the two brands of Asahi he regularly purchases is now out of stock. He's now unable to predict when pints can be poured again.

"We have received beer from the wholesaler to replace Asahi, but we would like to avoid using other manufacturers if possible, so we will consider our options until the very last minute," Akira added. Read more from Sky News:William hints at 'changes' when he is kingSean 'Diddy' Combs admits 'past wrongs' A shortage may leave Japanese drinkers unimpressed.

While there are other breweries in the country, Asahi has a fiercely loyal following. Figures from Kirin Holdings suggest that the typical consumer drank 34.5 litres of beer a year in 2022, the equivalent of 54 large bottles.

Asahi executives are now consulting with the police and trying to determine whether the company has fallen victim to ransomware. They have stressed that no personal information or customer data has been leaked.

Brewing operations outside of Japan - including in the UK - are also unaffected. There have been a series of high-profile cyber attacks on well-known brands in recent months - including Marks and Spencer, the Co-op and Jaguar Land Rover (JLR)..