Japan Crate is a snack subscription box that sends out snacks and candies from Japan. In addition to the Premium Box, Japan Crate also offers a Mini Box, along with Doki Doki, Kira Kira, and Umai 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.)
This is a review of the Japan Crate Premium Box, which is $30 a month.
About Japan Crate Premium
The Subscription Box: Premium Box by Japan Crate
The Cost: $30 per month + free shipping
The Products: 15 snacks including a drink, 1 guaranteed DIY kit, and a revolving bonus item
Ships to: Internationally with a few exceptions found here
Japan Crate Premium Box March 2018 Review
This box is packed full of colorful fun treats. They’ve provided a nice pamphlet that gives more details about the items and some info events happening in Japan during the month of March. They have a bread festival that brings in more than 120,000 people and features up to 80 bakeries. That’s quite a lot of dough!
Let’s see what’s inside!
Matcha Milk Caramel Corn, 77g – Retail Value $2.75
These sweet little puffs are packed full of caramel flavor. They dissolve pretty rapidly, most likely from the matcha powder they’re coated in. The bag is a generous size, making it the perfect snack to share.
Pandaro Cookie, 7g
Unfortunately, this little cookie pack came crushed, so I’m not quite sure if there were multiple tiny cookies all shaped like pandas or one single cookie. It was pretty powdery, so I wasn’t able to tell the flavor either. This one is a big question mark.
Strawberries & Milk Cream Cake
This little cake pack was bigger than I expected. It was very dense, but I could have used a little more strawberry flavor, in my opinion. I am a big fan of strawberry-flavored-anything, so I could be a little biased. Did you know that before WWII, strawberries and cake were reserved strictly for the elite? Not cool.
Dora Q Gum
This gum comes with 8 pieces in a small box. I thought this was a really interestingly sweet flavor but I kept having the urge to swallow it like candy. I was definitely fooled by the blue coating on the gum - it makes your tongue turn bright red after a few minutes! Regardless, I really liked this product and would give it two thumbs up.
Premium Umaibo Mentaiko, 10g - Retail Value $0.24
After opening the packaging and smelling a strong fish flavor, I was really nervous to try this one. It took a little pep-talk, but it was worth it! These are actually really good. It’s salty, smoked flavor pairs perfectly with the crunchiness of the crisp sticks. I would say this was the most surprising of all the items in the crate.
Namaiki Shin Chan Sushi DIY 2 - Retail Value $4.90 (currently out of stock)
This is such a fun, creative DIY kitchen project. I spent a solid 20 minutes trying to decipher the photos on the packaging before heading to Google. The directions are on Japan Crate’s blog page and they also put the DIY kit information on the back of the pamphlet. I missed this the first time around!
Funari Meiji Ichigo Hina Chocolate
These are the most delicious little puffs of heavenly goodness ever created. The strawberry flavor perfectly meshes with a subtle chocolate undertone. They have such an airy texture, they basically melt as soon as you pop one in. My elation for this product tanked when I realized I can’t find them anywhere online to buy! I would have savored every last one had I known this beforehand.
Dragon Plum, 6g - Retail Value $0.11
This candy has such an interesting mix of sweet and salty. The center is a rough, hard, salty flavor that surrounded by a hard, sweet candy coating. I really liked this product and wouldn’t mind having these at my desk for a mid-afternoon pick me up.
Okonomyaki Taro, 4g - Retail Value $0.19
NOPE. This product was 100% not for me. I was intimidated when I opened the package and smelled a fishy odor, but I was truly not prepared for how my mouth would react. It tasted like a spicy strip of fish on fried cardboard. I mean, if that’s your thing, more power to you. I applaud anyone who has such a refined palette and will gladly accept tips on how to get there.
Peach Hello Kitty Candy, 6g - Retail Value $0.70 (currently out of stock)
This was so tasty! The peach flavoring was on point and I was a big fan of the consistency of this lollipop. It was smooth, not overly sticky, and had such cute packaging. These individually wrapped treats would be a perfect addition for any Hello Kitty lover’s birthday gift!
Truffle Milk Ganache, 1oz - Retail Value $1.99
Truffles sit at the top of my chocolatey favorites list and this one did not disappoint. I really liked that this product has a powdered coating on top of a harder chocolate shell. The center is creamy but has a little more grit than I expected, though it definitely wasn’t a bad thing. The flavor has a nice mix of milk chocolate, cocoa powder, and a hint of orange. My favorite part: they’re individually wrapped so they stay fresh!
Pureral Gummy Apple, 45g - Retail Value $2.70
This is one of the more interesting snacks in this box. I was a little hesitant at first because the cube shape reminded me of a cheese tray, but it had a perfect apple flavor. The texture is soft and chewy, but the little powdery coating kept them from sticking together. My two-year-old loves these little cubes. It comes in a re-sealable pouch, so it’s a perfect on-the-go purse snack.
Kakushidama Candy
This citrus candy is known for changing colors and flavors as it dissolves. The center is said to predict your fortune based on the color: red - bad luck, yellow – you have to work a little harder, green – you’ll succeed in your endeavor. I got yellow; not too bad!
Hyorokumochi
I couldn’t get the wrapper off of these little candies, so nothing to report here.
Kagabo Hojicha Latte
This beverage can be served hot or cold. I chose to go with cold, as I generally don’t like warm beverages (other than coffee). This is a green tea milk drink with a caramel flavor but it’s definitely not anything I’d drink again. It was light, almost watery, but it had a unique flavor. I’ll stick with plain green tea next time.
The Verdict: Although I didn’t like some of the snacks, I love that this box opened my eyes to some of the really unique flavors offered in Japan. I was surprised by some of the snacks that I ended up really liking and I appreciated that some of these had multiple servings for future snacking. I definitely think this is worth the experience to try new things and learn more about your own taste buds. This box is a winner.
To Wrap Up:
Can I still get this box if I sign up today? No, you will receive the April box! From Japan Crate:
Crates are shipped on a rolling schedule with three schedule shipment dates every month.
Coupon - Use coupon code MSA3 to save $3 off your first Japan Crate Premium, Doki Doki Crate, Umai Crate, or Kira Kira Crate!
Value Breakdown: This box costs $30 a month (including free shipping), and I received a total of 15 snacks in the March box. That breaks down to a value of $2.00 per item.
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What did you think of the February premium box by Japan Crate?
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