A new month means new boxes from Sakuraco and TokyoTreats for imported snacks from Japan. While both boxes are filled with Japanese snacks, the branding and snack contents are made for slightly different audiences. Both boxes are the same price points for all subscription levels and guarantee the delivery of authentic Japanese for your friends and loved ones. Join me in my discovery of both boxes this to celebrate the traditional and snacktastic seasons.

Sakuraco

Sakuraco (starting at $32.50 USD/mo for 12 months) specializes in a refined snack experience. This month's theme was "Colors of Kyoto". We're talking snacks bundled with the vibes of Kyoto, where world heritage sites intertwine with nature's ever-changing seasons. This box would be ideal for somebody who loves savoury snacks or enjoys a Japanese tea with their Japanese snacks. In my box, I received the following:

1. Floral Kamon Yunomi
2. Sencha Tea
3. Momiji and Chestnut Wagashi
4. Soba Boro
5. Kyoto Arare
6. Fried Ginkgo Nuts
7. Osodefuri Soybean Okaki
8. Matcha Cream Roll Cookie
9. Matcha Chocolate Crunch
10. Matcha Pudding
11. Yuzu Dorayaki
12. Nikki Yatsuhashi
13. Kitsune Senbei
14. Sweet Potato Pie

Out of the snacks above, I most enjoyed the Momiji and Chestnut Wagashi which had a soft and gelatinous shell that had a sweet and fun look in each morsel. This was almost cafe-quality.

I was most surprised by the Matcha Pudding. I have had tons of matcha desserts from the Asian grocery stores here but the pudding was on another level. Fun to think it came all the way from Japan and still has such a refreshing taste to it.

If snacks were judged on their aesthetic value, I would rank the Kitsune Senbei highest. These fox-shaped cakes were fun to look at and filled with a generous amount of peanut powder finish in every bite.

TokyoTreat

Next I opened the TokyoTreat (starting at $32.50/mo USD for 12 months) box and this month's theme was "Snacktastic Halloween". We're talking snacks in the vibe of wacky shapes and spooky pumpkin flavours. This box would be ideal for somebody who loves festive snacks, sweet surprises, or wild variations of their favourite KitKat sticks. In my box, I received the following:

1. KitKat Apple Pie
2. Boo! Ghost Gummies
3. Halloween Pizza Puffs
4. Halloween Harvest Karinto
5. Rich Caramel Danish
6. Halloween Choco Pie
7. Pai no Mi Mini Pies Japanese Pudding
8. Spooky Spicy Crackers
9. Haloween Fruit Juice Potion
10. Halloween Angel Pie
11. Halloween Mini Hi-Chew
12. Curry Ramen Noodles
13. Halloween Snack Stick
14. Halloween Marshmallow

Out of the snacks above, I most enjoyed the Spooky Spicy Crackers. I have never experience crackers with a numbing sensation in them. Honestly, what we normally get in Canadian Asian grocers are the regular saltine crackers or Ritz cheese-filled crackers, so I really enjoyed experiencing such a different sensation with the spicy peppercorn of these crackers.

I was most surprised by the Halloween Choco Pie. Living in Vancouver, Canada, I am familiar with Choco Pie but we never get the fun, seasonal flavours. The Halloween Choco Pie had a fun, single-serving packaging to fit in with the festive season which I appreciated.

Subscription Options:

Both TokyoTreat and Sakuraco boxes can be had for as low as $32.50/month, but if you're not ready for that kind of commitment, 6, 3, and 1-month options are also available. For gifts, I like to give the 3-month subscription because you get to see how the snacks rotate through the seasons and your recipient gets to reminded of your great gift-giving skills 3 different times.

Compared to other subscription boxes I've tried, both TokyoTreat and Sakuraco go an extra mile by providing a little booklet describing the goods inside and share holiday or seasonal travel guides based on the theme of the month. There might be 2-4 fewer overall snacks inside but I also appreciate the price point being lower than competitors. It's a fair tradeoff and I think you get 95% of the joy.

Final Thoughts:

One-liner: Sakuraco and TokyoTreat offer different vibes of subscription boxes filled with a variety of treats and Japanese lore for you to eat your way through every Japanese season
Highlight: Sakuraco snacks
Price per box: Starting from $32.50 USD a month for 12 months

To order your own Sakuraco or TokyoTreat box, head on over to the links below: