Japan Crate is a Japanese snack subscription box that sends you snacks, candies, and beverages. Each box comes with at least 20 full-size sweets and snacks that are tricky or impossible to find outside Japan.
This review is for the Japan Crate Premium Box, starting at $49.95 per month.
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.)
First Impressions
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This month's Japan Crate box theme was: Merry Christmas! From trendy snacks and treats to holiday-themed candies and classics like candy cane sticks. The box is a celebration of the holiday season around Japan. Apparently, Christmas is all about crispy stuff in Japan. The box talks about how everyone lines up at KFC to get their fried chicken! The box contains plenty of crispy snacks … missing the fried chicken, though.
What's Inside: Japan Crate December 2022 Box
Japan Pride Potato
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Japanese potato chips have officially ruined all other potato chips for me. They're SO crispy and fluffy at the same time – so addictive! These have an elevated crisp olive flavor with extra virgin olive oil. I would instantly serve these next to a charcuterie board.
Puku Puku Tai Lemon
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The last box included a Puku Puku cake, but this zesty filling is absolutely amazing. I love how soft and decadent the vanilla cake feels, and the lemon filling is just the perfect savory snack for the holidays.
Karamucho Spicy Sticks
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These spicy sticks are made with delicious seaweed, a Japanese take on Takis. They are incredibly crunchy, and you feel the heat but nothing overwhelming. My husband actually ate these in two seconds!
Plenty of Fruit Gummies
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The box included a pack of gummies in grape and apple flavors. I really liked this for a cute stocking stuffer. For some reason, they taste just like the fruit gummies I used to love as a child, which brought a lot of nostalgia.
Strawberry Gum
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I don't know how they do it, but Japanese gum is so tasty! I'm usually not a gum person, but this strawberry gum is bursting with flavor and doesn't fade away as quickly as gums here.
Smoke Cheese Pretz
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These are limited-edition cheese-flavored pretz that should be eaten with beer? They really do taste like cheese puffs, but intensified. Definitely another snack I would throw on my charcuterie boards.
Petit Strawberry Candy
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There's something about strawberry-flavored candy that makes me feel like a child again. These have a delicious milky undertone and a chewy texture once you start biting into them. They're absolutely delicious.
Green Apple Candy
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Lots of fruit-flavored candy in this box. This is a delicious sour apple roll candy. They're really chewy and bursting with flavor. When you try these, expect a bit of sourness because it packs a punch.
Milk Pot Candy
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I was surprised to see this candy here; there's a spot in Miami (my hometown) selling these candies. It is literally like eating fresh milk. It has a robust milky flavor that feels so comforting for a reason. I would eat a whole box of these!
Dark Cherry Gummies
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My face lit up when I saw these. They're 100% dark cherry fruit juice gummies that are crazy soft and delicious. I also received some cherry gummies in previous boxes, so seeing these was a happy moment.
Candy Cane Stick
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I liked that they included these candy cane sticks, just in time for the holidays. They're still your classic chocolate candies but in bright colors.
Diamond Ring Candy
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Talk about nostalgia! This traditional hard candy ring with a Japanese twist uses cola flavor. This was the talk of the box in my house for days.
Champagne Cider Gummy
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These champagne gummies are perfect for ringing in the New Year. Of course, they don't taste like champagne, but they have a sparkling feeling that makes them fun and exciting.
Pachi Pachi Cola
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Loved this cola-flavored popping candy. I dipped the diamond ring candy on this to treat myself to a '90s favorite.
Hyoroku Mochi
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One of the real traditional holiday candies of the box. This mochi has a delicious green tea flavor. I really hoped it was more than one!
Tokyo Revengers Coffee
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These are collectible canes featuring 8 Tokyo Revengers anime characters. The coffee is very milky, and it's extremely sweet! While this wouldn't be a go-to coffee, I'd compare it to a Frappuccino from Starbucks.
Chestnut Mini KitKat
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I'm obsessed with chestnuts, especially around the holidays. These white chocolate and chestnut powder KitKats are amazing. I wasn't sure at first, but somehow they really do work. These work great with warm hot cocoa or freshly brewed coffee.
Experimental Slime Jelly DIY
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I love these DIY snacks, but the instructions always fall short. I usually use Google Translate to see how to use them because the information in the pamphlet is very vague. I'm not a fan of slime gummies; I'd rather have hard gummies instead. But the flavor was nice and sour, so if you like jelly stuff, you might love it.
My Verdict
While this box included a couple of holiday-themed candies, I feel it lacked more holiday spirit. I'm sure they're a million Christmas-themed candies in Japan featuring cool motifs. Nonetheless, you still get a nice combination of candies, gummies, and chips to explore different flavors. And honestly, for 15 snacks, including one full-size bag, the price makes it worth it.
To Wrap Up
Can I still get this box if I sign up today? Yes! Crates are shipped on a rolling schedule with three shipment dates every month.
Value Breakdown: This box costs $49.95 monthly (including free shipping), and I received 18 items. That breaks down to a value of $2.77 per item.
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