Japan Crate Subscription Box Review + Coupon – April 2017

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 ($12/month), Original ($25/month), and Premium ($30/month).

This review is for the Premium, $30 a month, 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 a month for the Mini crate, $25 a month for the Original crate, $30 a month for the Premium crate. Free shipping to the U.S. Save with 3, 6, and 12-month subscriptions

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!

Each box comes with a "manga-zine" that details the included snacks along with information on Japanese food and culture. April's theme is Movie Munchies!

Mike Popcorn: Spring Clam and Sakura Shrimp

This popcorn tastes like clam and shrimp, which is something I've never tried before. It's not bad! The seafood-y flavor reminds me very much of crispy shrimp chips. I can definitely see myself reaching for this flavor at the grocery store if the opportunity presents itself.

Hi Kick Lollipop Candy: Strawberry

This lollipop is shaped like a foot! It tastes the same as any other fruit-flavored lollipop I've eaten. I know the name says strawberry but I think mine tasted more like orange.

New Fue Ramune

These are Sweetarts-esque candies that you can whistle with through the hole in the middle. It's perfect for me since I don't know how to whistle! They are ramune flavored, which tastes very sweet with a little bit of tart.

Potato Fry: Salt and Butter

These are slices of potato chips that taste just like French fries. Right out of the bag they have a distinct starchy smell that makes my mouth water. Each slice is buttery, crispy, and the epitome of everything I love about junk food.

Morokoshi Wataro Corn Puffs: Spicy Doubanjiang

These are chili bean sauce (Chinese doubanjiang) flavored corn puffs. Now, they're actually not spicy at all. Instead, it's more of a peppery kick. Each large corn puff is so satisfying to eat! Overall, I like this a lot more than I thought I would.

Poterongu Garlic Steak

This snack tastes like garlic steak flavored French fries. I've had similar foods before but I especially enjoy this one for its mouth-watering umami taste. It's crunchy, savory, and fun to snack on while watching Netflix!

Nericcho Soft Ice Cream: Strawberry DIY

I was first introduced to this DIY kit in the March 2017 The CuteBox. It's a very easy-to-make kit that creates tiny strawberry-flavored ice cream cones. The kit comes with almost everything needed to make the snacks. Simply combine a bit of water to the powder to make a fizzy concoction, and then scoop it into the wafer cone.

Here is the final product! The ice cream part is made of sour carbonated foam. The taste wasn't to my liking because the fizziness clashes with the taste of the wafer cone. That said, it was very fun to make.

Pakkuncho: Chocolate

These are crunchy cookie bites with chocolate filling. I am obsessed with this type of cookie snack so imagine my giddiness when I spotted it in the box. These are extra special because they have Mickey and other Disney characters printed on each cookie. Needless to say, I did not share this snack with anyone else.

Sweet and Sour Nakano Konbu Snack

Konbu, or kelp, is a traditional Japanese snack. This one is cut into strips and covered in sweet and sour powder. How do I describe this taste? It's simultaneously sweet, sour, and savory but in a bad way. The flavors are too strong and too overwhelming. The kelp itself is also hard to chew. If I'm being honest, I will be very hesitant to try konbu snacks again.

Banana Man

This banana-flavored marshmallow is covered with banana-flavored white chocolate and has milk chocolate filling in the center! It's a delicious combination. The flavor kind of reminds me of Banana Moon Pies. I love the classic marshmallow and chocolate combination, and the banana flavor adds a unique kick that can't be found in a lot of other snacks.

Carrot Rice Puffs

This carrot-shaped baggie holds mini rice puffs. They're mildly sweet and fun to eat like sunflower seeds. I think these would taste good as a light snack or paired with tea or coffee.

Ponsuke: Seaweed

These wheat snacks are lightly sprinkled with seaweed flakes and covered in a sweet and savory soy sauce glaze. The combination is amazing. Each wheat bite is satisfying to eat and the soy sauce flavor lingers on my taste buds several seconds after it's gone. I hope this type of snack shows up in future snack boxes!

Futatsu No Shokkan Soda Jelly: Melon

This month's drink is unusual, to say the least. The melon-flavored soda contains rubbery jelly pieces, which makes the overall consistency almost like drinking a thick shake. The melon flavor is delicious and very uncommon in American snacks. I'm not a fan of the carbonated soda and jelly combination, though... Separately they taste great but together they're just too much. I drank the whole can but I don't know if I would try it again.

Gari Gari Cheese Twists

These baked cheese twists are packed with flavor! They're made with Camembert and cheddar cheeses for a bold taste. I love that they are super crunchy without being hard to eat. In fact, I finished the bag in one sitting!

Gummy Choco: Strawberry

These are chocolate covered strawberry gummies and they taste amazing. The flavors come in waves. First, the smooth milk chocolate melts like butter in my mouth. Then, the gummy emerges from its shell in a burst of strawberry flavor. It's almost like I'm getting two snacks for the price of one!

Verdict: There was a mix of very tasty and not-so-tasty snacks in this month's Japan Crate, but overall I really enjoyed my snacking experience. I even discovered a few new obsessions like the Gari Gari Cheese Twists and Potato Fry. There was 15 snacks total for a cost breakdown of $2 per snack.

What do you think of Japan Crate?