Azone International, which makes and sells dolls, said on November 6 that it will close its official online shop, AZONET. The company is switching to a policy of keeping personal information out of its own systems wherever possible, citing the risk of cyberattacks.
Its Rakuten store, the Azone Label Shop Rakuten Ichiba store, will stay open, and the company is asking customers to shop there instead. Dropping a company-run storefront is an unusual step as breaches of personal data keep piling up in Japan.
Some users said the closure makes buying harder. Others called it a sensible call once the cost of security measures is counted.
Suspension over "security hardening" became a closure
In October the company said unauthorized access to Blast Mail, an email newsletter delivery service, had leaked customer email addresses. From October 26 it halted its online shop, its official website and its inquiry form for maintenance, describing the step as a preventive security measure.
On November 6 it announced the closure on its official X account, saying it had made keeping no customer data its top priority in light of cyberattack risks and the information security situation, and that it would avoid storing data in-house where possible. It asked users to understand the decision.
Other chains also move away from holding data
More companies are moving toward not holding personal information at all after a run of leaks. Monogatari, which runs the yakiniku chain Yakiniku King, said unauthorized access leaked 10.78 million pieces of member data in October. It plans to cut the personal information it keeps in its group apps.
By the first half of 2027, the company aims to stop holding names and phone numbers across 11 group apps, including the one for Yakiniku King. It will keep collecting email addresses for its reservation function, but plans to rebuild the system so that it holds no personal information, email addresses included.
Yudetaro System, which runs the soba chain Yudetaro, said it is ending its Birthday Club, which sent coupons to customers who registered their name, address and birthday through a Facebook link. It will delete the registered personal information after sending December's coupons.