Ransomware at the Ryokan: Washington Hotel Hack Shakes Japan’s Hospitality Sector

It was a quiet Friday night at the Washington Hotel, but behind the scenes, chaos was brewing. At 10 p.m. on February 13, 2026, cybercriminals struck, slipping past digital defenses and unleashing ransomware on the servers of one of Japan’s most prominent hospitality brands. As the hotel’s IT staff raced to disconnect systems and external cybersecurity teams mobilized, a new chapter began in Japan’s ongoing struggle against a wave of high-profile cyberattacks.

The Washington Hotel, operated by Fujita Kanko Inc. under the WHG Hotels brand, caters to millions of business travelers each year across 30 properties in Japan. With a guest list nearly five million strong annually, the stakes are high - and so are the risks. According to the company’s official disclosure, the attack began late Friday night, prompting immediate action by IT staff to disconnect affected servers from the Internet, halting the ransomware’s spread.

Initial investigations, now underway with both police and cybersecurity experts, confirm that business data stored on compromised servers was accessed by attackers. The company is quick to reassure customers: personal guest data is stored with a separate provider, and there is no evidence - yet - of unauthorized access to those databases. Still, the full extent of the breach remains under review, and the financial damage is being assessed.

Operational impacts have been felt, especially around payment systems. Some properties have reported credit card terminals going offline, forcing guests and staff to rely on alternative payment methods. However, the company insists that, aside from these hiccups, day-to-day business continues with minimal disruption.

What makes this incident particularly alarming is its context. Japan is in the throes of a cybercrime surge, with recent victims including Nissan, Muji, Asahi Breweries, and telecom giant NTT. While it’s unclear if the Washington Hotel breach is linked to the recently disclosed vulnerability in Soliton Systems’ FileZen appliance - a flaw that has made headlines for its exploitation in Japanese corporate networks - the timing raises uncomfortable questions for the nation’s cyber resilience.

As of now, no known ransomware group has claimed responsibility, and the attack has not surfaced on the dark web leak sites monitored by security researchers. For the Washington Hotel, the coming days will be crucial: as investigations deepen and systems recover, the company’s response will serve as a litmus test for Japan’s hospitality industry in an era where digital threats are always lurking at check-in.

For guests and businesses alike, the Washington Hotel incident is a stark reminder: in Japan’s connected economy, the risks don’t stop at the front desk. As the hospitality sector fortifies its digital walls, the question is not if, but when the next attack will strike.

WIKICROOK

• Ransomware: Ransomware is malicious software that encrypts or locks data, demanding payment from victims to restore access to their files or systems.
• Command Injection: Command Injection is a vulnerability where attackers trick systems into running unauthorized commands by inserting malicious input into user fields or interfaces.
• Dark Web: La Dark Web è la parte nascosta di Internet, accessibile solo con software speciali, dove spesso si svolgono attività illegali e si garantisce l’anonimato.
• Incident Response: Incident response is the structured process organizations use to detect, contain, and recover from cyberattacks or security breaches, minimizing damage and downtime.
• Extortion Portal: An extortion portal is a website used by cybercriminals to publish stolen data, pressuring victims to pay ransom by threatening public exposure.