Japan Crate is a Japanese snack subscription box that sends you snacks, candies, and beverages. Each box comes with 15 to 20 full-size sweets and snacks that are tricky or impossible to find outside Japan.
This review is for the Japan Crate Premium Box, starting at $49.95 monthly.
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.)
First Impressions
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This month's Japan Crate box theme was: LOVE! ❤️
The design of this box was definitely cute, and I might or might not have let out an "aww" when I first saw it. Interestingly, the booklet says that fewer and fewer people are celebrating Valentine's Day in Japan, so the box is all about celebrating yourself or your loved one! I'm not big on V-day, but we always do something fun in the house, so trying all these snacks was a great plan.
What's Inside: Japan Crate February 2023 Box
Beware the Sour Grape
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This was such a fun snack! I'm glad I read the booklet before trying these out. We made a little game of it – each had to try half and keep it together if you got the super-sour-one first. Let's just say my poker face was not good.
Barley Chocolate Puff
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Apparently, these are the holy grail of cereal puffs in Japan. I don't know about "holy grail," but I'd give these puffs a good 7 out of 10.
Shake Shake Grape Jelly Drink
I just could not drink this thing. The box says it's Japan's most famous jelly drink. Maybe if it was a different flavor? But you're basically drinking grape juice with chunks of jelly. Not for me.
Chocolate Umaibo
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Umaibo is the equivalent of Cheetos in Japan. These aren't cheesy Cheetos; they're more like corn puffs covered with chocolate. Pretty good for satisfying cravings!
Prime Crackers Spicy Camembert
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I'm obsessed with camembert and cheese in general. Was this the cheesy cracker I was expecting? Nope. But, overall, it's a decent salty cracker to have around the house.
Porickey Brown Sugar Sticks
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These are pretzel sticks with a savory coat and covered with brown sugar. I just couldn't taste the pretzel or the brown sugar flavor. Maybe you could dip them in something?
Fettuccine Italian Grape Gummy
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I loved this snack! Probably one of my favorites from the box…and I usually don't like grape-flavored gummies. It's just the perfect gummy to satisfy your sour and sugar cravings.
Kanpai Ramune Candy
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Cheers! This adorable-looking bottle is filled with ramune-flavored candies. I feel like a Ramune-aficionado because I no longer get so excited to see these.
Sumikko Gurashi Gum
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I'm starting to feel like there's no Japan Crate without some gum. This had just a sugary flavor but a flavor that stayed strong after minutes of chewing.
Dipping Pero Chocolate Sticks
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These brought childhood memories! The sticks are perfect, and the dipping chocolate stays at the right consistency whether you eat them all at once or come back for some later.
Snow March Salted Chips
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Why don't we have these chips here? These are perfectly salted, the right size, thick cut, and amazingly crispy. I ate the whole bag in less than five minutes.
Sequoia Strawberry Chocolate Bar
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This was such a cute V-day treat! The wafer inside is crispy and fluffy; you get a hint of chocolate and a touch of strawberry. Absolutely delicious.
Hello Kitty Chocolate
A cute Hello Kitty chocolate, that's about it.
Hokkaido Cream Chocolate
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Hokkaido is the iciest town in Japan, and they're famous for its milk and dairy products. These truffles come individually wrapped, and they are absolutely delicious. Perfect for carrying around in your purse or for giving to someone!
Tomica Chocolate
Just a truck-shaped chocolate. Nothing special.
Mike's Popcorn Salt Butter
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Movie theater-like popcorn in a bag. They have just the right amount of salt and butter to be satisfying, but they're not greasy or heavy! I confess I ate this in a second!
Kit Kat Milk Tea
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So milk tea is obviously everywhere. If you like milk tea, you'll die with these. I don't care much about it, so I wasn't thrilled.
Nericho Ice Cream DIY
The DIY snack is always a fun part of this box, but I was disappointed to receive the same one I got for their box in July. I'd instead get a non-DIY snack.
Special Gift
This box came with a lucky cat playing with a Japanese Biwa to attract people into your life. I was so happy to see the adorable cat. Unfortunately, I guess no new people are coming into my life because the cat fell off the box, and, well…I really wished it came in a box!
My Verdict
This was undoubtedly a special box filled with love. Out of the 18 snacks in there, about 13 were full-sized options. I do wish they would include less gum or small chocolates with no unique flavors or features. Those are fillers when I would rather see another bag of chips or maybe a snack bar.
To Wrap Up
Can I still get this box if I sign up today? Yes! Crates are shipped on a rolling schedule with three shipment dates every month.
Value Breakdown: This box costs $49.95 monthly (including free shipping), and I received 18 items. That breaks down to a value of $2.77 per item.
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