Japan Crate Box Review

A review of Japan Crate- a monthly subscription box featuring fun and unique treats from Japan!

Disclosure: I received the August 2019 Japan Crate Premium Box in exchange for my honest review. All comments and opinions are my own. 

Japan Crate

Japan Crate is a subscription service featuring a variety of handpicked snacks and candy from Japan. The boxes are available on a monthly auto-renew plan (which can be cancelled online at any time) with different size options: Mini, Original, and Premium. Prices at the time of this review are $12/month for the Mini (5 items), $25/month for the Original (10 items), and $35/month for the Premium. Shipping is included in the price and can take anywhere from 2-4 weeks depending on the final destination. Mine took a little less than two weeks (California). Here are some examples of their previous crates.

I received the Premium box which includes 18-20 items, a drink, DIY snack, and a limited edition bonus item. The small guide includes the name of each candy in English and Japanese, a photo, and small description. It also features a handful of Japanese vocabulary and a couple of facts about current seasonal activities in Japan. I especially enjoyed the focus on regional flavors.

The August 2019 Premium Crate was filled with 19 different snacks (including 2 different Kit Kat flavors I had not previously heard of!):

Kataage Potato Shrimp & Salt

These crispy chips have a light shrimp flavor from Ikina island in the Ehime prefecture. Both kids were a big fan of these and the bag was large enough for the three of us to each have a decent serving.

Coro Can Soda Soft Candy

The little Coro Can Soda Soft Candies are chewy with a ramune (soda) flavor. 

Chocotto Soft

The Chocotto Soft was Claire’s favorite. This little ice cream cone is filled with chocolate cream, fluffy marshmallow, and sprinkles.

DX Sour Pack

I loved the packaging of the DX Sour Pack. This mini milk carton was filled with even tinier little mints. 

Chu Chu

The Chu Chu is a grape flavored gummy packaged in the shape of red lips.

Mike’s Pino Strawberry Moon

Mike’s Pino Strawberry Moon was another favorite for all of us. Created as a collaboration between Frito Lays and Pino ice cream, this limited edition strawberry moon caramel corn has a delicious sweet and sour flavor. I loved the color too. 

Neriame (DIY)

The Neriame was such a fun one for the kids. This blue slime-like traditional candy came with a pair of small chopsticks to spin and twirl. A guide was provided to stretch and wrap the candy. After forming around the chopstick, it will lighten and become firm. 

Okonomiyaki Taro 

The savory strip of Okonomiyaki Taro has all the flavors of Osaka’s okonomiyaki.

Kurobo Stick

Kurobo is a baked treat from Fukuoka. I loved the soft and chewy texture of this pastry paired with the deep brown sugar molasses flavor.

Porikky Brown Sugar

These Porikky Brown Sugar pretzel sticks are another treat with a deep molasses-like brown sugar flavor. 

Grilled Corn Crackers

The Grilled Corn Crackers have the flavor of Hokkaido’s sweet corn with a hint of soy sauce. 

Hi-Chew Banana

These particular Hi-Chew have a rich and sweet banana flavor inspired by Okinawa. 

Ramune Caramel Corn

This puffed caramel corn snack features a limited a season flavor, Ramune, modeled after the favorite Japanese soda. 

Ichigo Yogurt Cracker

We all enjoyed the Ichigo Yogurt Crackers. Featuring strawberries from Tochigi, these crackers have a light balance of sweet and sour. 

Sours Jewel Pineapple

Claire was immediately drawn to the Sours Jewel Pineapple with their sparkling sugar coating. These pineapple gummies also feature the flavors of Okinawa.

Kit Kat Everyday Luxury

This Japan Crate box included two bonus Kit Kat flavors. Neither one held up well to the August heat, but were still delicious. The Kit Kat Everyday Luxury (three bars in the box) have a rich chocolate flavor with pieces of cranberry and almond. 

Kit Kat Setouchi Lemon

The box also came with three pieces of the Kit Kat Setouchi Lemon. They were also a bit sad looking, but luckily that didn’t impact the flavor. Highlighting Hiroshima lemons, these summery Kit Kats have a mild zesty flavor with a touch of salt from the Seto Inland Sea.

Coconut Pocky

The Coconut Pocky was my favorite in the August crate! Of course, I have always been partial to Pocky. This particular flavor is covered in chocolate, coconut flakes, and Okinawa salt. 

Georgia Emerald Mountain Blend

The Georgia Emerald Mountain Blend houses a smooth coffee blend in a limited edition can featuring a collectable Gundam design. 

Overall, this August Japan Crate was a hit for us. It is a great way to try new products we may not have otherwise come across. We are currently planning a trip to Japan and this was also a fun way to help get the kids excited about some treats we may see while there.