In this week’s news roundup, we look at GMO’s $1 million bounty for information leading to the identification of hackers behind a major cyberattack, as well as separate data breaches affecting Japan Airlines (JAL) and All Nippon Airways (ANA). Elsewhere, Sanrio cuts ties with popular TV show Vivant amid a backlash in China. We pay tribute to former Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and Ashita no Joe illustrator Tetsuya Chiba, while Cate Blanchett receives Japan’s Praemium Imperiale Award.
GMO Bounty Launched After Hackers Threaten Daily Data Leaks
A cyberattack on Japanese internet giant GMO Internet Group has escalated into a public hunt for those responsible, after hackers demanded around ¥8 billion to prevent the release of customer information. GMO says its cybersecurity team has obtained information that could help identify the attackers, while a ¥150 million ($1 million) reward scheme has attracted 321 tips in just two days.
The breach targeted GMO’s Onamae.com desktop cloud service, where malicious programs were installed on customer servers. GMO identified 26,739 potentially affected servers and confirmed customer data was stolen, with some users reporting unauthorized trading transactions. Earlier this week, hackers threatened to leak compromised account holders’ information daily unless GMO paid a ransom by noon on Tuesday. GMO refused to comply.
JAL and ANA Join Growing List of Japanese Data Breach Cases
The GMO incident comes amid a wider wave of cyberattacks and data breaches affecting Japanese companies. Sony Network Communications disclosed a breach involving approximately 2.6 million customer records linked to its So-net and Plala internet services, raising fresh concerns about the security of personal information held by major service providers across the country.
Japan Airlines (JAL) and its subsidiary Japan Transocean Air (JTA) reported unauthorized access to reservation information belonging to approximately 92,000 customers, including names and flight details. All Nippon Airways (ANA) subsequently disclosed a similar incident involving its reservation system, with some passenger information potentially accessed through the same external technology provider, Amadeus IT Group. Both airlines are investigating the scope of the incidents.
Image from the official “Vivant-chan” X Account / @vivant_sub
Sanrio Cuts Ties With Vivant Amid China Backlash
Sanrio announced Wednesday that it was cutting ties with the popular Japanese TV drama Vivant following criticism in China over the series’ depiction of Chinese agents torturing a Japanese operative. The company behind Hello Kitty, Cinnamoroll and My Melody said in a post on its official Weibo account that the program contained “expressions inconsistent with Sanrio’s corporate philosophy.”
Before the announcement, China’s state-run Global Times had criticized the collaboration, declaring that Hello Kitty “should not dance with Japan’s right wing.” It warned that Sanrio stood to lose “far more than short-term sales” by working with what it called “anti-China content,” adding that the partnership could erode the brand’s long-standing bond with Chinese consumers.
Former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda dies at 90
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) announced Monday that former Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda died from heart failure at a hospital in Tokyo on October 22. He was 90. The eldest son of former Prime Minister Takeo Fukuda , he won a seat in the House of Representatives election for the first time in 1990.
Following Shinzo Abe’s resignation in 2007, Fukuda succeeded him as the country’s leader. He was the first son of a former prime minister to also serve as prime minister. Both were 71 when they took office. Fukuda was best known for his dovish foreign policy, which emphasized dialogue and aimed to stabilize relations with China.
Legendary Ashita no Joe Manga Artist Tetsuya Chiba Dies at 87
On Tuesday, publisher Kodansha announced that Tetsuya Chiba, the illustrator of Ashita no Joe and the first manga artist to receive the Order of Culture, had died. He was 87. According to reports, Chiba passed away due to myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a type of cancer that impairs the production of healthy blood cells in the bone marrow.
Chiba, born in Tokyo in 1939, spent his early childhood in the Korean Peninsula and Japanese-controlled Manchuria before returning to his home country in 1946 after experiencing the hardships of World War II. He developed a passion for drawing and in 1968 released the boxing manga Ashita no Joe with writer Asao Takamori, better known as Ikki Kajiwara.
Cate Blanchett Receives Japan’s Praemium Imperiale Award
Australian actress Cate Blanchett was presented with the Japan Art Association’s Praemium Imperiale Award for Theatre and Film on Wednesday. The medal was presented to her by Princess Hitachi, aunt of Emperor Naruhito. The award recognizes lifetime achievement across five disciplines: painting, sculpture, architecture, music, and theater or film, celebrating artists whose work has made a lasting impact.
“In an uncertain world riddled with unthinking certainty I believe doubt is vital to the creative process,” Blanchett said at a press conference ahead of the ceremony. The other winners this year were American neo-conceptual artist Jenny Holzer, British sculptor, photographer and environmentalist Andy Goldsworthy, Polish and American architect Daniel Libeskind and Swedish-American conductor Herbert Blomstedt.
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Updated On October 30, 2026
