Japan Crate Subscription Box Review + Coupon– September 2016

Japan Crate is a monthly subscription box that sends candy and snacks from Japan. The box aims to "recreate the excitement of exploring Japan through fun candy and everything kawaii," and the assortment is handpicked straight from Japan.

There are 3 crate sizes to choose from: Mini, Original, and Premium. This review is for the Premium crate.

This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post  to learn more about how we review boxes.)

The Subscription Box: Japan Crate

The Cost: $12/month for Mini crate, $25/month for Original crate, $30/month for Premium crate. Free shipping to the US.

OR

Now through 9/30, subscribe to any 12-month Japan Crate box and you'll receive a free Rilakkuma Kigurumi! Find more info here!

The Products: Candy and snacks from Japan!

Ships to: Internationally with exceptions found here.

Check out all of our Japan Crate reviews and the Food Subscription Box Directory!

Keep Track of all Your Subscriptions: Add Japan Crate to your subscription list or wishlist!

As part of Japan Crate's 2-year anniversary celebration, they also included a scratch-off card that can win you anything from a store discount to a brand new TV (mine was a code for 25% off any purchase).

Each box comes with a "manga-zine" that details the included snacks along with information on Japanese food and culture. The theme for September is RPG.

Pikachu Grape Gum

I'm so happy to see Pikachu (and Pokémon in general) making a comeback. This is one lengthy piece of gum that you can break into threes. Unfortunately it tastes a little too powdery and does not have long-lasting flavor.

Pote Usa Loppy Squeaker

This is the anniversary bonus item! Pote Usa Loppy is a cute bunny made by Japanese toy maker Amuse. According to Japan Crate, 50 of these bunnies have tags with unique coupon codes that might win you something cool.

Shuwa Shuwa Pineapple & Mango Soda

I always love the monthly beverage and this month was no different. This is a sparkling pineapple and mango soda that really brings out the fruity flavors and isn't overly sweet. I'm still dreaming of the day I can find these stateside, preferably in Costco-size portions.

Mugi Choco Bar

This is like a bar of rice krispies drenched in chocolate. I'm a huge fan of anything with chocolate and rice krispies so this is hitting the snack jackpot.

Kagikko Choco

The word "kagikko" means latchkey kid, which in turn (I had to look this up) means a kid who comes home from school without parental supervision. These are candy coated chocolates that taste exactly like M&Ms. Peeling them out individually felt satisfying but also disheartening-- there were only around fifteen of them!

Closeup of the Mugi Choco Bar.

Che-Wing Straw Candies - Cola Flavor

I think it's safe to assume that every box includes an obligatory cola flavored item. This month features a sour Twizzlers-esque candy coated in sugar crystals. I'm always a fan of chewy, gummy things so this was another hit. I really enjoyed the cola flavor too!

Takaoka Strawberry Mugi

These are crispy wheat puffs covered in strawberry cream. It is a simple but delicious combination. I downed my bag in one sitting.

Potato Chips - Black Pepper

These are black pepper flavored potato chips. The peppery taste is a little too strong for me but it's palatable overall.

Mugipon Milk Coffee Flavor

These are sweet wheat puffs flavored like coffee-flavored milk beverages that you can find in Japanese convenience stores or vending machines. They taste almost like puffy breakfast cereal to me.

Everyone Cookie Matcha Flavor

These are individually wrapped soft cookies. Each cookie has a strong matcha taste which is offset by the chocolatey insides. I am in love with this combo. What a great discovery!

Osatsu Do Ki Salt & Butter Flavor Chips

The brand that makes these chips, Uha Mikakuto, also makes one of my favorite milk candies, so I had high expectations. These are made from sweet potato and are cut thicker than your usual potato chips. They taste simultaneously buttery and sweet, which is an interesting combination. The jury is still out on how I feel about this but I wouldn't mind trying other flavors.

Lucky Corn Puffs

These corn puffs are simultaneously sweet and savory. Half the time I taste the sweet more and half the time I taste the savory, but overall I'm not a fan. The aftertaste isn't very appealing either...

Soda Gum

This packaging includes two long pieces of ramune soda-flavored gum. I would have preferred that the pieces were cut into more chewable portions, but other than that the flavor is great!

Osanpo Watagashi

This is a huge, dense piece of cotton candy! I would have been fooled if you told me it was cotton though.

I ate it with no complaints. However, when I think of all the cool Japanese snacks out there, cotton candy isn't really one of them.

Moko Moko Mokowash DIY Kit

This is hands down the more hilarious DIY kit I have ever made! The Moko Moko Mokowash kit lets you make a yogurt-flavored drink in a tiny washing machine. I took a lot of photos because it was too amazing to not document.

The kit is mostly made of plastic parts. I found easy English instructions in the Japan Crate manga-zine.

First, you have to decorate and build your washing machine. The gear that's jutting out slightly is what you will use to manually spin the machine.

The kit also comes with a handy "detergent" scooper that attaches to the side.

Next, fill that bad boy up with the included powder and some water. Close the washing machine lid and spin, spin, spin!

When the cycle is finished, drink up your yogurt "suds." I'll be honest, it wasn't tasty but I still had so much fun making the whole thing.

Verdict: This month's Japan Crate was so fun to explore. My favorite is the matcha flavored Everyone Cookie. I also had an immense amount of fun making the Moko Moko DIY Kit. I counted 15 items total, so the cost breakdown is $2 per snack. Overall the curation was great like usual, but there were a couple of misses this time like the cotton candy (which I just don't think is very unique) and the Lucky Corn Puffs. However, the DIY kit more than made up for the snacks I didn't like.

Do you subscribe to Japan Crate?