A review of the November 2023 TokyoTreat and Sakuraco Subscription Boxes! These boxes feature a festive collection of Japanese sweet and savory treats.
Disclosure: I received the TokyoTreat and Sakuraco November 2023 boxes in exchange for my honest review. All comments and opinions are my own. If you purchase something through the link, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.
I reviewed TokyoTreat and Sakuraco for the first time in September and again last month. The upcoming November boxes were just as fun with new themes and flavors.
This month, Sakuraco is celebrating Wonders of Saitama and TokyoTreat has a Mt. Fuji Snack-Venture! I especially loved the outer green and red design of the Sakuraco box to match the delicious treats inside.
The boxes are available in monthly, 3-month, 6-month, or 12-month auto-renew (which can be cancelled or paused at any time) subscriptions with a price decrease for each longer plan.
Packing and shipping from Japan is included and available worldwide (excluding Japan). The arrival time may vary based on available shipping method.
It can take as little as 3 days for DHL or up to 60-90 days for surface mail depending on the country. My boxes have consistently arrived in 3-5 days from Tokyo to the Washington DC area with detailed tracking down to the hour via DHL.
Most of the snacks are vegetarian, though a few may include meat or seafood- and will be noted as such in the allergen section of the guides.
TokyoTreat November 2023
The TokyoTreat box arrived first this month! This exclusive Japanese snack box features up to 20 seasonal and limited edition treats with perfect combination of both sweet and savory flavors. It often has hard to find KitKat flavors, Pocky, Ramune, ramen, drinks, and more.
Each box comes with a helpful 24 page cultural guide to explain the individual treats along with history, traditions, and notable facts for the theme. We enjoyed reading about some of the background and tourist attractions surrounding the iconic mountain.
The titles of the snacks in the guide are written in English and/or Romanized Japanese.
They also have a short intro with background information, a photo for easy identification, common allergens with possible traces, and whether the item is suitable for vegetarians.
TokyoTreat
The cute Mt. Fuji Sandwich Cookie definitely plays into the theme with a buttery crisp cookie shaped like the mountain with a creamy white chocolate center.
The Sour Candy Ribbon Green Apple was a fun treat for the kids. This long, stretchy candy has a sour green apple flavor reminiscent of the orchards near Mt. Fuji.
The Crunky Chocolate Almond Bites were my personal favorite this month. These sweet little pieces blend creamy milk chocolate with crunchy almond and a hint of coffee.
Each TokyoTreat box this month comes with a unique KitKat flavor. Mine was peach! They had a wonderfully sweet and fruity flavor with a pastel pink color. Others may include melon, strawberry chocolate cake, or even a Double Matcha x Original Chocolate.
The electric yellow DekaVita Vitamin C Drink is a refreshing energy drink with a light citrus flavor. It is definitely a pick-me-up after a hike or long day.
The box also came with an entire bag of fluffy Blueberry Marshmallows. These light, airy marshmallows have a burst of sweet blueberry in the center.
The Sweet Potato Sablé Cookie was a wonderful fall addition. This crisp cookie is packed with a roasted sweet potato and sesame in every bite.
Along with the assortment of KitKats, each box comes with a unique chip bag from TokyoTreat’s favorites list. I got the Nori Shio Dragon Twists! The shape reminded me a bit of pasta. These twisty treats have a fantastic salted nori flavor.
The Ice Cream Candy DIY Kit was Claire’s favorite. Since TokyoTreat can’t ship ice cream, they did the next best thing by adding this kit from Fuji-Q instead! Simply mix water into the powder and arrange over the included ice cream cones for an exciting treat.
The Gaburichew is another stretchy, fun treat. This chewy candy has a “blast of muscat grape flavor.”
Wasabi lovers will enjoy the Wasabi Potato Crisps. This packet has two round potato crisps with a wasabi flavor inspired by the wasabi grown near Mt. Fuji.
The Lucky Fish Arare Crackers were so cute! These little sea bream-shaped crackers are crisp with a lightly salted seafood flavor.
My daughter continues to be excited about the instant noodle packet in each of the previous TokyoTreat boxes. This month, it is an Itomen Seafood & Veggie Broth Ramen! She kept it simple with just the savory broth and noodles, but you can also top with slices of narutomaki (fish cake), halved egg, and sliced green onions.
The Mt. Fuji Green Tea Cake has two layers of light and airy sponge cake with a creamy matcha center.
The Okonomiyaki Corn Puffs were my second favorite. With flavors of Okonomiyaki (savory pancakes in every bite), TokyoTreat mentions these are perfect for “a fun camping trip to Mt. Fuji!”
Sakuraco November 2023
While TokyoTreat focused on Mt. Fuji, Sakuraco had a regional focus on the Wonders of Saitama in partnership with the Saitama City and the Saitama Chamber of Commerce and Industry!
This snack box experience highlights local artisan snack makers and curated tea pairings with 20 premium wagashi, exclusive treats, home goods, tea, and more.
I loved learning a bit about Saitama City within the scenic Saitama Prefecture (north of Tokyo) in the 24 page cultural guide this month. There is also an inside look into a couple of the local companies with photos of the included treats being prepared.
The titles of the snacks in the guide are written in English and/or Romanized Japanese. They each have a short intro with background information, a photo for easy identification, common allergens with possible traces, and whether the item is suitable for vegetarians.
In addition to all this, Sakuraco’s guide mentions the maker and prefecture of origin. As the theme suggests, most came from Saitama this month.
Sakuraco
The first thing I noticed after opening the box was the Arigato Calligraphy Bookmark by Shiho Kurabayashi. This beautiful bookmark has Kurabayashi’s hand-painted calligraphy of ありがとう (thank you) on one side and “Thank you from Saitama” on the other from Saitama City.
The Strawberry Cookie from Bairindo in Saitama is soft and chewy with a vibrant pink color. They have been made with a homemade strawberry puree from domestic strawberries.
I tried the Chocolate Cream Danish from KOUBO in Nagano back in August, so I was excited to see a seasonal Sweet Potato Danish this time! The buttery dough is made with locally sourced wheat and has a creamy sweet potato filling.
Each month, Sakuraco has a different tableware item and this time it is a beautiful pair of Wasaka Crane Chopsticks from Wagokorodo in Fukui Prefecture. These lacquered chopsticks are decorated with a crane soaring against a golden sky.
The Curry Senbei from Kitayama Confectionery in Saitama have a delicious coating with a blend of 15 curry spices.
We have had such fun with the white chocolate fruits in the Sakuraco boxes and the Apple this month was another wonderful treat. Decadent pieces of apple are soaked in white chocolate for a contrast of tart and sweet.
The bite-sized Chestnut Cake from Bessho in Nagano was my personal favorite from the box this month. A light wafer shell is filled with a creamy white bean chestnut paste.
The Black Karinto from Kanezaki Confectionery in Saitama are coated in black molasses and deep-fried in rice oil. They have a blend of sweet and savory flavors with a hint of sesame and crisp texture.
The Chapon Sayama Tea from Yajimaen in Saitama Prefecture has some of the highest levels of antioxidants found in green tea. Its rich flavor was perfect paired with the accompanying treats in the box.
The Milk Castella Cakes from Micro Confectionery in Saitama were a favorite with the kids. These mini, fluffy cakes are made with Hokkaido milk and have a light sugar coating.
The Nori Thunder Okoshi & Matcha Thunder Okoshi from Tokiwado in Saitama are chewy rice cakes, each with matcha and nori flavors. They were amazing alongside the tea.
I especially enjoyed the behind the scenes view of the making of the Oni & Otafuku Rakugan from Fujimiya in Saitama. These rice flour confections have a light, sweet flavor with a cultural artistic touch using wooden molds for the shape.
The Saitama Pear Gummies from Zen-noh in Tokyo highlight the juice of Saitama pears with a luscious jelly-filled center.
The Drama Sesame Senbei from Nanakoshi Confectionery in Saitama are studded with black sesame seeds. They have been baked until crisp with a burst of flavor in every bite from the addition of Chiba Shimofusa soy sauce.
The Walnut Mochi from Marusan Tamakiya in Nagano bring together finely chopped walnuts with a chewy, slightly sweet rice cake.
The Daifuku from Adachi Confectionery in Gifu blend Azuki beans and sugar cane from Hokkaido with a chewy mochi coating. It was such a wonderful combination of textures.
TokyoTreat and Sakuraco
Overall, we had such fun trying the variety of Japanese treats in both boxes this month delivered right to our doorstep.
I continue to prefer the beautiful designs and artistic quality to the Sakuraco box (often highlighting specific cities/prefectures), while the kids love the abundance of vibrant and exciting flavors in the TokyoTreat box the best.
Both of these boxes are available until November 15th, 2023!
Bernadette
What a fun way to explore unfamiliar food.