Japanese Hospitality Chain Washington Hotel Hit by Ransomware Attack

The Washington Hotel brand in Japan confirmed a ransomware incident on February 13, 2026, resulting in the compromise of various business data. The hospitality group, operating under Fujita Kanko Inc. (WHG Hotels), has launched an internal task force and is collaborating with external cybersecurity experts to assess the scope of the breach and initiate recovery procedures.

Overview of Washington Hotel

Washington Hotel caters to business travelers and maintains 30 locations across Japan, encompassing a total of 11,000 rooms and serving approximately 5 million guests annually [BleepingComputer]. Fujita Kanko Inc. (WHG Hotels) is the parent company.

Details of the Ransomware Attack

The intrusion was detected at 10:00 PM local time on Friday, February 13, 2026. In response, IT staff immediately disconnected affected servers from the internet to contain the spread of the attack [NewsDirectory3]. While the investigation is ongoing, Washington Hotel has confirmed that attackers gained access to internal business data.

Data Security and Operational Impact

Crucially, the company believes customer data remains secure. According to their statement, customer information is stored on servers managed by a separate entity, and there has been no indication of unauthorized access to those systems [Rankiteo]. The ransomware attack is currently causing some operational disruptions, most notably the temporary unavailability of credit card terminals at certain Washington Hotel properties. However, the company reports that overall operational impact has been limited.

Investigation and Response

Washington Hotel is consulting with the police and external cybersecurity experts to investigate the incident and coordinate recovery efforts. The financial implications of the incident are still under evaluation. As of February 16, 2026, no ransomware group has publicly claimed responsibility for the attack [BleepingComputer].

Broader Cybersecurity Landscape in Japan

This incident follows a recent surge in cyberattacks targeting Japanese companies, including Nissan, Muji, Asahi, and NTT [BleepingComputer]. Japan’s JPCERT/CC recently warned of active exploitation of CVE-2026-25108, a critical command injection flaw in Soliton Systems’ FileZen, a widely used file-sharing appliance previously targeted in 2021 [Rankiteo].

Washington Hotel promised to provide updates as new details emerge.