Asahi Beer Sales Drop in 2025: A Japanese Learning Opportunity

If you've ever sipped on a cold アサヒビール (Asahi Bīru) while dreaming of Japan, or if you're just curious about how modern challenges affect iconic Japanese brands, this news is for you. In January 2026, Asahi Group Holdings shared a surprising update about their sales performance for December 2025, revealing a significant dip due to a cyberattack. For learners of Japanese, this isn’t just a business headline—it’s a window into real-world Japan, complete with cultural insights and language lessons straight from the source. Let’s dive into what happened and uncover some authentic Japanese along the way.

Asahi’s Sales Hit by Cyberattack

Asahi Group Holdings, the powerhouse behind some of Japan’s most beloved beverages, reported a tough end to 2025. Their flagship beer division, アサヒビール (Asahi Bīru), saw December sales drop to the high 70% range 前年同月比 (zen-nen dōgetsu-hi - compared to the same month of the previous year). For the October to December quarter, cumulative sales lingered in the low 80% range. What caused this slump? A サイバー攻撃 (saibā kōgeki - cyberattack) in late September 2025 disrupted their systems, forcing manual handling of orders and shipments for weeks.

Other divisions weren’t spared either. アサヒ飲料 (Asahi Inryō), known for drinks like カルピス (Karupisu - a milky, yogurt-like beverage) and 十六茶 (Jūrokucha - a blended herbal tea), also reported December sales in the high 70% range, with quarterly figures around 70%. Meanwhile, アサヒグループ食品 (Asahi Gurūpu Shokuhin), which produces items like ミンティア (Mintia - a popular breath mint), held up slightly better with December sales in the mid-90% range. The 影響 (eikyō - impact) of the cyberattack was clear across the board, showing how even giants in Japan’s corporate world can face modern tech threats.

The Road to Recovery

The cyberattack on September 29, 2025, threw Asahi’s digital systems into chaos. For over two months, they managed 物流 (butsuryū - logistics, distribution) manually—a daunting task for a company of this scale. System-based ordering restarted in early December, but full 復旧 (fukkyū - restoration, recovery) of logistics isn’t expected until February 2026. Asahi’s transparency about their 売上高 (uriage-daka - sales revenue) and recovery timeline reflects a Japanese corporate value of accountability, giving us learners a glimpse into how businesses communicate setbacks with precision and honesty.

Cultural Context: Asahi in Japanese Life

To truly grasp this news, you need to understand Asahi’s role in Japan. アサヒビール (Asahi Bīru) isn’t just beer; it’s a cultural icon, often poured at lively 居酒屋 (izakaya - traditional Japanese pubs) or enjoyed during 花見 (hanami - cherry blossom viewing parties). Similarly, カルピス (Karupisu) is a nostalgic childhood drink for many Japanese, often diluted with water or soda for a refreshing treat. Seeing these everyday staples tied to a tech crisis highlights the blend of tradition and modernity in Japan. For language learners, this story shows that Japanese isn’t just about words—it’s about understanding the society and values behind them, like resilience in the face of unexpected challenges.

Learn Japanese from This Article

Let’s turn this news into a learning opportunity! Here, you’ll find key vocabulary, a useful grammar pattern, and expressions to help you discuss current events like a native speaker. These are pulled straight from the way Japanese is used in real headlines and conversations.

Key Vocabulary

These words aren’t just for this article—they’re terms you’ll hear in Japanese news, business discussions, and even casual chats about tech issues. Try using 影響 (eikyō) next time you talk about how something affects your plans!

Grammar Spotlight: 〜とみられる (is considered to be, is seen as)

This grammar pattern, 〜とみられる (to mirareru), is often used in formal or news contexts to indicate something “is considered” or “is seen as” a certain way, based on evidence or estimation. It adds a layer of objectivity, which is common in Japanese reporting.

Structure: Verb (plain form) / Noun + とみられる Meaning: is considered to be, is seen as

Examples:

• 売上高の減少はサイバー攻撃によるものとみられる。 (Uriage-daka no genshō wa saibā kōgeki ni yoru mono to mirareru.) The drop in sales revenue is considered to be due to the cyberattack.

• システムの復旧は2月までかかるとみられる。 (Shisutemu no fukkyū wa nigatsu made kakaru to mirareru.) The system recovery is seen as taking until February.

• この問題は大きな影響を及ぼすとみられる。 (Kono mondai wa ōkina eikyō o oyobosu to mirareru.) This issue is considered to have a significant impact.

You’ll often see this in Japanese news articles to avoid stating something as absolute fact. It’s a great way to sound nuanced and formal when discussing predictions or analyses.

Useful Expression: 前年同月比 (compared to the same month of the previous year)

The phrase 前年同月比 (zen-nen dōgetsu-hi) is a staple in business reports, meaning “compared to the same month of the previous year.” It’s used to discuss trends or changes over time, like in Asahi’s sales figures.

Example: 売上高は前年同月比で70％台にとどまった。 (Uriage-daka wa zen-nen dōgetsu-hi de nanajuppā-sentai ni todomatta.) Sales revenue remained in the 70% range compared to the same month of the previous year.

This expression is handy for discussing statistics or comparisons in a professional context. Pair it with percentages or numbers to sound like you’re straight out of a Japanese boardroom!

Continue Learning

Want to build on what you’ve learned here? Check out these lessons to deepen your understanding of Japanese structure and expressions:

• Time and Dates: Tense-Free Expressions: Want to learn more about discussing time like in sales reports? Check out our lesson on Time and Dates: Tense-Free Expressions.
• Wa vs. Ga: Emphasizing Importance in Sentences: Ready to dive deeper into sentence nuance? Our lesson on Wa vs. Ga: Emphasizing Importance in Sentences will help you master these concepts.
• Fundamental Sentence Structure: Topic-Comment Dynamics: Curious about the Japanese used here? Our Fundamental Sentence Structure: Topic-Comment Dynamics lesson covers this in depth.

Learning Japanese the way it’s taught in Japan means connecting language to real life. Keep exploring with us, and you’ll be discussing news like this with confidence in no time.

これからもよろしくお願いします。 Kore kara mo yoroshiku onegaishimasu.