Japan Declares Emergency After Dozens of Companies Hit by Cyber Attacks

a closed padlock on a black surface — Kedibone Isaac Makhumisane / Unsplash

Japan declared a state of emergency after dozens of companies became victims of cyber attacks, according to reports citing the National Police Agency of Japan. At least 53 companies in Japan have fallen victim to ransomware attacks, though authorities have not disclosed the full number of affected firms.

Among the impacted sectors are manufacturing companies, construction firms, hospitals, and schools. Two organizations have confirmed breaches: the used goods retailer Bookoff Group and the railway operator East Japan Railway Company. Both reported that over 6 million customer data records may have been leaked as a result of the attacks.

Japanese financial regulators have begun warning banks not to accept driver's license copies as identity verification for new account applicants. This follows a breach at the car rental company Times Car, where user driver's license photos were exposed.

Japan's Cybersecurity Minister Toshiharu Furukawa described the situation as highly critical. National Cybersecurity Strategy Headquarters chief Masaaki Taiwa labeled the ongoing incidents as an emergency.

Cybersecurity experts suspect that artificial intelligence may be amplifying the scale and frequency of these attacks. While no direct evidence links the incidents to AI usage, Blackpanda security director Masaki Hiraoka noted that the technology enables hackers to execute attacks that previously required extensive preparation. S&J cybersecurity president Nobuo Miwa added that AI helps foreign attackers overcome language barriers that once hindered operations against Japanese firms.

According to TrendAI data, Japan recorded more cybersecurity incidents in the first nine months of 2026 than during the entirety of 2025. South Korea, a neighboring country, has also faced similar waves of cyber attacks targeting financial institutions and churches.