Japan Crate is a monthly subscription that sends full-sized, Japanese candy and DIY food kits straight from Tokyo.
Japan Crate sent us this box for review purposes. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
The Subscription Box: Japan Crate
The Cost: $12 per month for the mini crate (4-6 candies); $25 per month for the original crate (8-12 candies and DIY Kits); $30 per month for the premium crate (10-14 candies and DIY Kits).
The Products: Full-sized Japanese candy and DIY food kits.
Ships to: Worldwide. (US shipping is free. Shipping elsewhere is $10.)
Japan Crate includes a card detailing the items in the box. (Note that this is a review of the premium crate.)
On the reverse, there’s a really neat cartoon.
Sangaria Hajikete Cider (11.66 oz)- $1.48 (currently out of stock)
This cider is described as “fruity, crisp, refreshing and delicious.” It’s sweet and tasty. I really like that Japan Crate sends beverages with every Premium Crate. I think it’s so much fun to try drinks from abroad.
Umashi Oasi Cheetos
These Japanese Cheetos aren’t cheesy like the ones we get in the US. Instead, they have a mellow, salty, and sweet corn flavor. They’re incredible. So good, in fact, that I had to ask my husband to take them away from me before I devoured the entire bag.
Ginbisu Chocolate Bar Z (.77 oz)
Beware the Sour Grapes (.43 oz)
I’m not sure how to describe the Ginbisu Chocolate Bar, so I’m going to directly quote the Japan Crate card. They explain the candy as “a light wafer stick that has been soaked in rich, chocolately goodness. A unique texture between smooth & chocolatey and crunchy. It’s a whole new experience!” I have to agree with them there!
Beware the Sour Grapes is a treat that contains three pieces of gum. Two are sweet and one is very sour, so you have to be careful when eating them. What fun!
Yaokin Maple Hot Cakes (.88 oz)
Gyogyogyogamu Gum (.56 oz)
I love maple treats, so the Yaokin Maple Hot Cakes were one of the first treats I tried. They consist of a maple caramel sandwiched between two mini pancakes. I’ve never had a treat like this before, but I’m a fan!
Gyogyogyogamu Gum allows you to create your own flavors by mixing the four basic flavors (green apple, yogurt, peach, and grape) in the pack.
Chocolate in Disguise (.56 oz)
Bun Keychain- BONUS ITEM
Subscribers to the premium crate receive a bonus item every month. This month’s bonus item is a scented bun keychain. This is such an odd item! I’m not really sure what to make of it, but I can confirm that it does indeed smell a bit like bread.
This little wrestler dispenses differently colored candies and also tells your fortune. Your fortune depends on the color of the candy you receive. Of course, they’re in Japanese. Happily, JapanCrate translated the fortunes on their site. I got a yellow candy, so my fortune is: “You will be the champion.” Huzzah!
Strawberry Chocolate (.67 oz)
Waku Waku Zukan Gummies (1.76 oz)
This strawberry chocolate is another treat with a fortune! The color of the spoon holding the chocolate determines your fortune. My chocolate was on a pink spoon, so my fortune is: “You will have a good conversation with your crush.” Ha!
I’m a little obsessed with the Waku Waku Zukan Gummies. The gummies help depict the lifecycle of a frog with egg, tadpole, and frog shapes. I love that these are educational. Luckily, they’re tasty, too. Flavors include apple and Muscat.
Kabaya Tukettemiyo Ju-C DIY Kit (1.05 oz)
Every month, I look forward to assembling the DIY candy kits that Japan Crate sends, but I had a hard time with them this month. This kit provides the supplies to make round candies in an animal shape. Since the instructions are in Japanese, I rely on the small illustrations to figure out how to make the candy. Unfortunately, these instructions didn’t make sense to me, so I wasn’t able to complete the project.
Corocoro Animal DIY (.7 oz)
With this DIY kit, I made it about halfway through the project before I threw in the towel. Using different jellies, you’re meant to construct 3D animal faces. I found the texture of the jellies really hard to work with, and it was pretty clear that my animal heads were going to look more like amorphous blobs than the panda, pig, and lion shapes the DIY kit recommended making. Oh, well. I was still able to nibble on the goo, and it was pretty tasty. Even though this kit wasn’t successful, I had fun giving it a try.
Verdict: I think Japan Crate is so much fun! It’s hard to determine a value for this box because I couldn’t find the majority of the items for sale online, but I think the price is fair. I didn’t have very good luck with the DIY snacks this month, but I haven’t had a problem with them in the past, so I think these were just a little more difficult than usual (or my DIY skills were just having an off day). Japan Crate always puts a smile on my face, and I love discovering new Japanese candy every month!
What do you think about Japan Crate?
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