NihonBox is a Japan-based monthly box filled with the best and original goodies from JAPAN! Each box includes 7-10 items from the otaku and traditional Japanese culture like Japan-exclusive figures, plush toys, collectibles, food, as well as Japanese lifestyle accessories!
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: NihonBox
The Cost: $33.49 a month + $5.50 shipping
ACTIVE DEAL: $3 off your first box!
CODE: ILOVENIHONBOX
The Products: 7-10 items from the otaku and traditional Japanese culture
Ships to: Internationally
Check out all of our NihonBox reviews and more Japanese subscription box reviews in the Kawaii Subscription Box Directory!
Keep Track of all Your Subscriptions: Add NihonBox to your subscription list or wishlist!
Here's the info booklet for this month. But wait! Oh no!
It's in FRENCH!
Luckily, all it took was a quick note to the company to nab a digital version of the English-language booklet.
Hatsune Miku Figure Summer Version from Taito
Hatsune Miku is like a cartoon character, a video game, and a pop star all rolled into one. Most importantly, she's kind of a big deal, hence this really high-quality collectible figurine! She stands about 7 inches tall, but with her floaty ring she's just about 8. The detail is crisp and playful—I love how her hair turns translucent at the ends! There are a few small scuffs on her shoes, but otherwise, she looks fab. Just stick her standing foot on the two pegs on the clear plastic stand to keep her standing tall!
Kimi No Na Wa (Your Name) Tin and Candies
This star-shaped candy tin is themed around the movie Kimi No Na Wa, which is a wildly popular anime movie in Japan. In addition to the cute tin, there are actual individually wrapped candies inside with the characters' faces printed on them. Unfortunately, I found the candies a little weird—they're kind of chalky like a mint might be, but the flavor is a very mild, vague fruit flavor to it.
Mini Stuffed Sports Chopper
I never thought of Tony Tony Chopper as a soccer star, but here he is! This little character from One Piece is nice and plush and around 4 inches tall. Apparently, you can get one of three different versions of this plush in the box (basketball, soccer, or baseball). I like that he's got a little ball chain loop on his hat so that I could tack this to a backpack or hang him off a pushpin.
Shingeki no Kyojin (Attack on Titan) Hand Towel
According to the info booklet, "Japanese people are fans of any kind of cloth and towels." I like the idea of using this Special Operations Squad towel as a geeky accent to my usual hand towel assortment, especially if I have people over to watch something. It's pretty soft, though the side with the print on it has a slightly stiff finish to it, presumably from the ink.
Sonic the Hedgehog Bath Bomb
Bath bombs are huge right now—so much so that even Sonic the Hedgehog has his own line of 'em! This bomb has a fruity candy fragrance to it, and when it's dissolved, a toy appears! There are five different possible toys inside this blindbox-style bomb ("blind... bomb?"), and I got...
Tails! I did notice that this blue bath bomb did stain my skin a bit, which is a bummer. I'd recommend waiting 'til it's 100% dissolved to jump in the tub with it. Handling the bomb once it's wet left my fingers splotchy blue.
Rabbit Japanese Marshmallows
According to the info card, these cute, squishy treats are made and packaged in Kyoto, so they're an authentic treat. They struck me as being a bit chewier than traditional marshmallows, and they have a glob of some kind of sugary-sweet fruity filling inside. The texture wasn't my favorite, but I did like getting a glimpse at a less commercial snack.
Soy Sauce Dish
This dish is so pretty! I love the little bunnies and the beautiful white and indigo color scheme. According to the info booklet, this dish, which is relatively shallow but does perk up on the sides to prevent splashing, is a soy sauce dish, but I think I'll use it as a ring dish (you can see it with a ring it in above, which will also give you a sense of its size).
Verdict: I did look around online to find the items in this NihonBox, but the majority of them were harder to find, or could only be found in eBay listings, which didn't seem fair to use as a basis for value. So let's look at it this way—I got 7 items in this box, which cost me about $39.00 after shipping. That means, on average, each item should be worth about $5.57 to make the box worth it. Based on listings for similar products, I think the figure of Hatsune Miku is probably at least triple that amount, if not more, which makes up for the probably-less-expensive items like the candy tin and the bath bomb. So overall, I think this box was fairly priced. Plus, it's so much fun! I really love the variety of items I received—particularly the mix of pop culture finds and more traditional pieces (the marshmallows and the soy sauce dish).
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, but the October NihonBox should ship October 8.
ACTIVE DEAL: $3 off your first box!
CODE: ILOVENIHONBOX
Value Breakdown: The box, plus shipping, costs approximately $39.00, meaning each of the seven items inside is worth about $5.57.
What do you think of NihonBox?
Please do not enter your email address in the Name field or in the comment content. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *. Remember to post with kindness and respect. Comments with offensive language, cruelness to others, etc will not be approved. See our full comment policy here.