Major Japanese online retailer, Ascul, recently experienced a significant system failure that affected its operations. The glitch reportedly also impacted MUJI, another popular retail store in Japan, which relies on Ascul's system for its online shopping services. Both companies are working tirelessly to rectify the problem and restore normal services, but it remains unclear when everything will be fully operational again.

Online shopping is a massive industry in Japan and any disruptions to service can have significant impacts on both businesses and consumers alike. Companies such as Ascul and MUJI are huge players in this space, so any downtime is a significant event. While the technical aspects of this issue are important, the focus for many Japanese people will be on potential disruption to their shopping and the inconvenience this causes.

Just like in the US or EU, system failures in online retail platforms can have massive ramifications. Consumers demand reliable service and any disturbances can erode trust in the brand. In the US, for example, Amazon experienced a major system failure on Prime Day, one of its biggest shopping days, which caused a significant public relations issue for the company.