Why Your Japanese KFC Order Might Be Missing Something This Week

Ordering at KFC Japan or grabbing ice cream off a supermarket shelf this week might come with an unexpected catch. Nichirei, Japan’s leading frozen food supplier and refrigerated warehouse operator, said on Tuesday that a cyberattack had disrupted operations across its subsidiaries, including deliveries — and the disruption is now touching some of the most familiar names in Japanese food and retail.

KFC Japan has warned that some of its restaurants could face shortages serious enough to force temporary menu changes or even store closures, depending on how long the disruption lasts. Conveyor belt sushi chain Kura Sushi confirmed that some of its outlets in western Japan are already experiencing delays receiving products through Nichirei’s network.

Snack giant Ezaki Glico, maker of Pocky, said on Wednesday that shipments of some of its ice cream products had been delayed because part of its stock sits inside Nichirei’s refrigerated warehouses. The company has not disclosed a financial figure, but local media reported that up to 20 per cent of its ice cream products had been affected. Glico is now using alternative supply arrangements to limit the disruption, particularly in western Japan, where summer heat keeps ice cream demand high. Local reports also point to disruption at major supermarket chains, pastry manufacturers and dining halls at elderly care centres, all reliant on the same refrigerated logistics chain.

Nichirei has said it plans to gradually restore services starting July 17, though it has not confirmed when full deliveries will resume for every affected partner. Until then, the cyberattack remains the quiet reason behind gaps on shelves and menus across parts of Japan.

The attack fits a broader pattern of cyber incidents striking major Japanese companies recently. In 2025, beer maker Asahi suffered a ransomware attack that disrupted its operations for months and forced manual order processing, an attack the Russian-linked hacker group Qilin later claimed responsibility for, according to Japanese media. Retailer Muji also suspended online shopping in Japan after its delivery partner Askul was hit by a separate cyberattack, another sign of how exposed Japan’s retail supply chains have become to targeted hacking.

[Source: Wikimedia Commons/by Bakkai]