Japan Crate: March 2019

My March Premium Japan Crate arrived yesterday! This month's crate was made in collaboration with Bandai Namco Entertainment, with the theme featuring their latest video game, God Eater 3. It includes the following:

• Koikeya Rich Spicy Ramen Flavour Scone — "Said to give whomever eats it the power of fire, you definitely cannot let the Aragami eat this. Grab the bag and share with your team and harness the power of spicy noodles!"
• Yaokin Mochitto Strawberry — "Soft and squishy, enjoy these fluffy soft rice cakes with a strawberry cream filling this March!"
• Tanenashi Hoshiume Seedless Plum — "This pitless pickled plum is both sweet and sour bringing the best of both worlds to your taste buds."
• Yaokin Ichigo Daifuku Cream Marshmallow — "It's fluffy and puffy and strawberry-flavoured with a cream filling. Enjoy this marshmallow when you're in the mood for something sweet in a jiffy."
• Maeda Potato Bolo Dagashi — "Celebrate Hinamatsuri with these themed sweet potato snacks that will melt in your mouth in just seconds!"

• Coris Sonomanma Peach Gum — "Made by Coris, this Sonomanma peach gum contains three peach gumballs. One of the three is sour, but it is only revealed when tasting. Test your luck with some friends to see who gets the sour one!"
• Pine Donguri Cola Gum — "A classic candy store staple in Japan, pop this cola candy when you're in the mood for something fizzy and chewy as you're left with a gum centre to chew on when the rest fizzles away."
• Top Seika Assorted Chewing Candies — "Experience a trio of tasty flavours with this mix of soft candies that include traditional soda, cola, and grape. Share the different flavours amongst friends or keep them to devour all by yourself."
• Koikeya Suppa-Mucho Ume-Kawaii Potato Chips — "First sold in 1993, Suppa-Mucho is a popular brand of potato chips and celebrated its 25th anniversary last year. For the new year, they've revealed this all-new honey plum flavour that has just hit stores in Japan."
• Coris Doki Doki Fishing DIY Kit — "Based off of a traditional Japanese game in which a player catches goldfish with a special scooper. It's a common and popular activity amongst kids and adults during festivals in Japan. Experience a bit of it in this fun DIY candy kit."

• Coca-Cola Japan Special Edition Sakura 2019 Slim Bottle — "The sudden appearance of Aragami isn't all bad, it caused the sakura leaves to bloom early transforming the local Coke bottles with the 2019 Limited Edition Sakura design."
• Pine Sherbet Pero Cola — "Experience Japan's version of Fun Dip with this cola-flavoured lollipop. The powder turns it into a juicy candy that you'll love!"
• Noshiume-san Taro — "Soft and easy to eat, experience the taste of plum vinegar and plum meat extract on a fish fillet. The mix of salty and sweet will leave your palate with a unique tasting experience."
• Ninja Sword Gum — "The God Eater squad let you borrow a sword to fight off the Aragami! They said once you defeat one, your sword stores their energy that becomes a sweet treat."

• Pringles Shoyu Chicken Ramen Flavour — "The Pringle craze has taken over Japan with classic noodle dishes. With two flavours, classic yakisoba and soy chicken ramen, which one did you get?"
• KitKat Momiji Manju Flavour — "Capture the taste of Hiroshima with these Momiji Manju flavour KitKats. Created in collaboration with Takatsudo, the famed 100-year-old family-run business that originally created the Momiji Manju, these have a maple leaf shape with a red bean cake flavour."
• Yaokin Sweet & Sour Cola Paper Candy — "Pop. Fizzle. Gummy. Experience the world of cola in sour gummy form with this sweet and sour candy strip!"

My winners from the February crate are: Yaokin Crispy Chocolate Rice Cereal (reminds me of a Crunch Bar), Yaokin Choco Taro (kinda like a Snickers bar, but thinner and with a crispy corn snack centre instead of caramel... so it's not really like Snickers at all, but it's really good), and KitKat Roasted Hojicha Flavour (KitKat + black tea = phenomenal). Flops for me were the the heart-shaped milk chocolate (literally has nothing to do with Japan — it was a cheap filler for this box, 'cause you can get bags of these at Bulk Barn or the dollar store), the Top Seika Rilakkuma Gum (more penny candy gum — ultra-cheap and another filler item), and the Pine Hello Kitty Lollipop (aside from the Hello Kitty design, this looked and tasted like those super-cheap dollar store lollipops, so there was really nothing special about this).

After the intense, almost sickly sweetness of chocolate and strawberry from last month's box, I'm excited to get some more variation in this month's crate. I'm not particularly fond of that pickled plum flavour that is so popular in Japan, but the ramen-flavoured chips make up for those. And I'm glad to see that there isn't any more of those cheap filler chewing gums in this box. Of course, I can only have very minimal amounts of anything here because of my new-found health problems, but you know, I can have one or two bites on a cheat day...

Japan Crate: February 2019

My February Premium Japan Crate arrived today! This month's theme is, as expected, Valentine's Day and includes the following:

• Ginbis Shimi Choco Strawberry Shortcake — "Everyone's favourite Shimi Choco sweet snack is back! This time, in strawberry shortcake flavour. These flavour-infused stars are sure to entice your tastebuds this February."
• New Mochitaro — "Enjoy this new mochi taro snack this winter! This salty rice snack has a nostalgic zest that will leave your heart wanting more."
• Heart Chocolate — "February is all about love and chocolate! Share the love of chocolate by giving this heart-shaped piece to one of your loved ones."
• Yaokin Crispy Chocolate Rice Cereal — "Indulge in the flavours of malt and rice cereal with this crispy chocolate rice cereal bar! A quick confection, this bar has a lovable dinosaur mascot and will surely bring you happiness with a love at first bite."
• Yaokin Umaibo Chocolate — "Known commonly as a puffed corn treat, Umaibo is an extremely popular snack in Japan as it comes in many different flavours. This particular edition is coated in creamy smooth chocolate. The combo of sweet chocolate and salty corn will leave your palate in a flavourful and exciting tailspin."

• Coris Horadekita Chocolate Banana Soft Candy DIY Kit — "This month's Do-It-Yourself set will have you making your own chocolate covered banana candy! This set makes six mini banana candies and is great fun for children and adults alike."
• Bourbon Hi-Chocolat Ichigo Mousse — "Bask in milk chocolate and strawberry goodness with these strawberry mousse candies. The mousse-like strawberry cream is filled with bon bon-shaped chocolates that will have you eating the entire packaging before you even know it!"
• Yaokin Choco Taro — "Enjoy this sweet and salty chocolate taro bar that has the perfect combination of a fluffy, crisp corn snack covered with dark chocolate mixed with peanuts.'"
• Top Seika Rilakkuma Gum — "The gum itself is a refreshing soda flavour with Rilakkuma and Korilakkuma character designs! Each pieec is individually wrapped in foil to preserve freshness with an outer paper sleeve."
• Meiji Marble Chocolate Petit Pack — "Enjoy Japan's version of M&M's milk chocolate. These creamy milk chocolate disks are covered in a hard shell and is the perfect late night treat!"

• KitKat Hojicha-Roasted Tea Flavour — "Exclusively sold only in the Kansai region, KitKat Hojicha is a collaboration between KitKat and Itohkyuemon, an artisanal Kyoto Tea Maker! The fragrant waffle wafers are wrapped in Itohkyuemon's carefully selected roasted green tea-infused chocolate. The fragrant taste of roasted tea will give your tastebuds a one-of-a-kind chocolate experience."
• Morinaga Mysterious Chocolate Ball Chocolate Banana — "Banana and chocolate are a perfect combination! These chocolate orb balls contain a yellow banana coating and a crispy cocoa cookie center that will leave you salivating for more!"
• Chi Lin Arigatou Chocolate — "Share February's goodies and give a gift of thanks with this Arigatou pack of chocolate pieces to a special someone in your life."
• Yaokin Grape Roll Candy — "Enjoy 50 cm of rolled up grape goodness with this fruit roll sheet! It's a perfect snack or sweet treat to add to your lunch box."

• Morinaga Mini Strawberry Angel Pie — "Bask in strawberry and chocolate flavour with these sandwich biscuits. These fluffy and delicious chocolate sandwich biscuits are filled with a luscious strawberry marshmallow cream!"
• Pine Hello Kitty Lollipop — "Treat yourself with this cute Hello Kitty lollipop! Coming in super-cute wrapping, the lollipop itself is strawberry-flavoured."
• Meiji Apollo Petit Pack — "Ever have a late night craving for something sweet? This petit package is filled with triangular chocolates combining sweet strawberries and milk chocolate in every bite."
• Pokka Sapporo Hokkaido Cream Luxury Chocolate Can — "A chocolate milk lover's dream come true! This can is full of rich chocolate taste with cacao and Hokkaido cream mixed together for the ultimate indulgence this February!"

Okay, so my winners from the January crate are: Koikeya Pride Potato Kyoto Fried White Soy Sauce Chips (who knew soy sauce-flavoured chips were so good?), Yaokin Mochi Choco (kinda like a Jos Louis, except smaller and thinner and made with mochi instead of cake), Morinaga Persimmon Hi-Chew (I'm not actually a huge fan of persimmons, but in Hi-Chew form, it kinda tastes like mango-peach yogurt, and I'm living for it), and Meito Puku Puku Taiyaki (a light crispy shell shaped like a fish, filled with light airy chocolate). Flops for me are the Lotte Sweet Strawberry Pie no Mi (good texture, but the strawberry filling was so artificial and strong that it ended up tasting grossly medicinal), the Lotte Plum Koume Candy (at first, it tasted a bit like an unripe plum but then it morphed into a sort of grassy, flower petal flavour which was so gross that I had to spit it out), the Yaokin Big Marshmallow (it's a fucking plain marshmallow) and, as expected, all of the gum (a.k.a. cheap fillers).

February's crate is Valentine's themed, which means mostly chocolate and strawberry, but I'm kinda bummed that there isn't even one savoury option in this month's crate... I'll try to make my way through all the sweetness here, maybe get a cavity and/or diabetes, and report back next month on the winners and flops from the February box.

Japan Crate: January 2019

My January Premium Japan Crate arrived today. Just in time, as I'm just finishing up the last few bits of the December box. It was a lot of snacks to get through, but you know, I'm always up for a challenge. Anyway, this month's theme is New Year's and includes the following:

• Frito Lay x Ponta Corn Dressing Flavour Corn Chips — "Frito Lay and Ponta have partnered up to bring crunchy chips flavoured with salad dressing. Try them as is or chopped atop a salad!"
• Yaokin Maple Syrup Hot Cakes — "Enjoy a sweet treat with these mini hot cakes. Similar to dorayaki, these pancakes are made into sandwiches filled with delicious maple syrup cream."
• Top Seika Pokemon Sun & Moon Grape Gum — "Pikachu and friends are here with this juicy grape flavour gum! Each package has different Sun and Moon Pokemon. Which ones did you get?"
• Yaokin Mochi Choco Almond — "Have a bit of this yummy chocolate pie. Mochi is a popular New Year's food and this one is coated and filled with a rich chocolate."
• Marukawa Doraemon Marble Gum — "Round marble-like gum has had a history of over 50 years in Japan. They are iconic for their box packaging. This one features Doraemon with soda-flavoured gum!"

• Kracie Sleeping Grape DIY Kit — "This is one of the most popular Japanese DIY kits! Blend the ingredients together to make a fluffy grape mix and add crunchy candy as a sweet topping!"
• Lotte Sweet Strawberry Pie no Mi — "These flaky pies are perfect for winter. They are made of 64 layers of crispy pastry and filled with strawberry cream. You can try it toasted and warm for a delectable winter treat."
• Eiwa Hello Kitty Chocolate Marshmallow — "When you're feeling a bit peckish, have a nibble on this fluffy chocolate-filled marshmallow packaged with Japan's iconic Hello Kitty.'"
• Ribbon Box Dagashi Shop Candy — "Dagashi are classic Japanese candy that have been around for decades! This is one that you would find in vintage candy shops. There are a variety of flavours: ramune, cola, mandarin, grape, lemon, and peach. Which one did you get?"
• Top Seika One Piece Grape Gum — "Join Luffy and crew on the high seas with this chewy grape-flavoured gum."

• Coca-Cola Japan Special Edition Slim Bottle 2019 New Year — "Enjoy this cola in its limited edition 2019 New Year bottle design. Since the 100th anniversary of Coca-Cola, Japan has released exclusive yearly designs. Keep this unique commemorative bottle design for your collection!"
• Koikeya Pride Potato: Kyoto Fried White Soy Sauce — "Pride Potato chips are made with the utmost quality and these particular chips are prepared like Kappo cuisine, a traditional way of cooking that is commonly found in Kyoto and often uses white soy sauce made with wheat (not soy). It possesses a sweeter and more flavourful taste than regular soy sauce. It's recommended that you try it as if it's fried tofu called Kyo age, by eating them with green onions, bonito, and ginger."
• Pine Ultraman Grape Lollipop — "Fire or ice! Taste the ultra flavour of this grape lollipop featuring Ultraman Rosso and Ultraman Bull."
• Morinaga Persimmon Flavour Hi-Chew — "Persimmon is a sweet and soft fruit commonly served in winter. Some persimmons are dried (hoshigaki) and associated with good luck and longevity. Have a taste of these New Year's traditions in a classic Japanese favourite, Hi-Chew!"

• Meito Puku Puku Taiyaki — "Taiyaki is a Japanese street food that is often shaped like a fish and filled with sweet red beans. This one is filled with airy chocolate."
• Lotte Plum Koume Candy — "These candies are made of Japanese plums and has a history of over 40 years! It's iconic for its packaging featuring a girl named Komume-chan from the Meiji era."
• Yaokin Big Marshmallow — "This marshmallow is like fluffy winter snow! Put it in hot cocoa, melt it into a s'more, or eat it as is!"
• Chi Lin Pipe Chocolate — "This chocolate comes in fun pipe-like packaging that also doubles as a whistle! Makes for a fun sound maker for the new year."

Okay, so winners from the December crate are: the Tohato Christmas Caramel Corn (these are so freaking good that I actually went hunting for them at T&T and found several different flavours, so I bought the lemon soda ones to try out), the Doutor Cocoa Toast (they're like crunchy chocolate Melba toast chips), the Morinaga Ootama White Chocolate Peanut Chocoballs (imagine chocolate-coated peanuts but crunchier), and the Tohato Christmas Poteco Pizza Flavour (um, they're literally pizza-flavoured Ringolos, so it was an immediate favourite). Flops for me were the World of Stars Konpeito (I've discovered I hate konpeito in general), the Yaokin Chocolate Milk Cream Cake (way too dry) and, as expected, all of the gum. I mentioned this before, but I hate that they include gum in these boxes because they're such cheap fillers. They're all those bubble gums that lose flavour in less than five minutes, and they cost like, 10 cents, and they're usually made by the same company, too. Anyway, I will make my way through this month's snacks and report back in February.

Japan Crate: December 2018

My December Premium Japan Crate arrived today, not even two weeks after I received my ultra-delayed November crate due to the Canada Post Union Workers strikes. I did realize that I would be eating a lot of candy this month because of this, but I didn't anticipate that my December crate would be arriving so soon. I haven't even gotten through half of the last box, so bear with me as I make my way through all the snacks (this is really a great problem to have, though, not gonna lie). This month's theme is (obviously) Christmas and includes the following:

• Tohato Christmas Caramel Corn with Peanuts — "One of our favourite Christmas Japanese treats. These caramel crunchy snacks are a perfect break from all your holiday celebrating, plus are a great bag to share with friends and family."
• Yaokin Chocolate Christmas Umaibo — "Typically a salty snack, this Umaibo is sweet and chocolate-flavoured for the holiday season. Hopefully, it was in time to make it onto the nice list."
• Yaokin Princess' Disappearing Treasure — "This delicious cookie has a hidden secret! Inside, you'll find the Princess' secret strawberry and blueberry jam."
• Yaokin Chocolate Waffle Cookie — "Last minute shopping have you busy? This chocolate waffle is a great pick-me-up that you can carry in your pocket to help get that last purchase right on time."
• World of Stars Konpeito — "Konpeito is a traditional Japanese sweet with a taste similar to rock candy! While konpeito is often multicoloured, these are in a special holiday colour and packaged with fun elf creature on the wrapper."

• Doutor Cocoa Toast — "Doutor is a popular Japanese coffee roaster and is known for having amazing flavours. They made a toast chip out of their famous cocoa flavour. The toast is lightly baked and has just the right amount of choco flavour to make you feel happy."
• Coris Waku Waku Doubutsu Animal Soft Candy — "Make your own animal soft candies this December! Maybe you can recruit some little helpers."
• Yaokin Christmas Brown Sugar Fugashi — "Enjoy this traditional Japanese snack with Christmas packaging. The wrapper says 'Merry Christmas!'"
• Topseika Cola Gum — "While not a traditional polar bear Coca-Cola commercial, this cola gum will give you the same satisfying cola taste without the can (or bottle)."
• Yaokin One Two Strawberry Wafer Biscuits — "Another pastry favourite for the holidays that will have you feeling merry and jolly in no time."
• Dragon Ball Super Gum — "We've heard that the number of chews is your power level. What's yours?"

• Lotte Koala March Nazo Mystery Flavour — "Holidays are often filled with surprises! Koala March is playing along and sharing a secret flavour. You won't know what it is until you try it."
• Morinaga Ootama White Chocolate Peanut Chocoball — "We're dreaming of a white... Chocoball! These chocolate balls are 2.5x bigger than normal and feature white chocolate with a hint of salt and peanuts."
• Yaokin Chocolate Milk Cream Cake — "Every celebration needs a cake! Celebrate this holiday season with a chocolate and milk-flavoured cream cake."
• Tohato Christmas Poteco Pizza Flavour — "Combine the holidays with a pizza party and you get Tohato's Christmas Poteco Pizza flavoured ring chips!"
• Topseika Sumiko Gurashi Gum — "Did you know Sumiko Gurashi likes to sit in a corner alone? Chew this gum in anticipation if you made it on the nice list!"
• DyDo Jelly Sparkling Star Kirby White Grape Soda — "Pop this bottle of Sparkling Kirby White Grape Soda to celebrate the holidays and new year! Then indulge in your whole crate as if you were Kirby."

I'm still making my way through the November crate, but I can say that my favourites so far are the Yaokin Mr. Taro Onion Snacks, the Frito Lay Japan Butter Soy Sauce Dragon Potato Snacks, and the Kabaya Pure & Natural Grape Gummies. Definite duds are the Yaokin Saucy Senbai Rice Crackers (the styrofoam-like texture of the crackers and the thick, tangy BBQ-like sauce just do not go well together) and the Marukawa Orange Fusen Gum (I used to have these when I was little because they come in cute boxes and lots of different fruit flavours, but they lose all flavour in less than five minutes), but as a whole, the November crate has been really good. Way better than the October crate, which was a lot more gimmicky (I don't want a stupid Halloween mask, I just want the snacks). The December crate here looks similarly tasty, though I already know the konpeito candies and the chewing gums are going to be my least favourite (gum is not a fucking snack, y'all). Will report back in January.

Japan Crate: November 2018

My November Premium Japan Crate finally arrived today. (Due to the Canada Post Union Workers strikes in October and November, Japan Crate sent an email stating that it could take up to 10 weeks for November's crate to arrive, hence I am just getting this now. In December.) This month's theme is PAC-MAN and includes the following:

• Kabaya Ju-C Irodori Ramune Candy — "We've included this bag of hard candies for you to enjoy! These PAC-DOT shaped candies come in ramune, orange soda, and grape soda flavours! You'll have enough of these guys to fill a whole maze!"
• Kabaya Pure & Natural Grape Gummies — "These high-end gummies are popular among our subscribers and they're back! This time, in grape flavour. These gummies combine two different textures in one bite with real fruit flavours!"
• Yaokin Kudamono Yasan Fruit Gummies — "With all the gummy fruits in this basket, PAC-MAN's sure to get at least 5000 points in one go!"
• Coris Kajiri Cho Grape Soda Chewing Candy — "This tubular chewy candy comes in two flavours, grape on the outer layer than ramune on the inside to give you that grape soda flavour in one bite!"
• Yaokin Mr. Taro Onion Snacks — "This one's a staff favourite. Take one bite and you'll understand why! Its strong onion flavour will keep you craving for more! We have a strong feeling those Power Pellets are made of these guys!"
• Hoshaku Parade Tea Latte Milkshake — "Milkshake in a can! Japan has had these drinks around since the '50s! They've been so popular across generations that they still keep the classic design on both the cans and the bottles! Kinda like our favourite video game character!"

• Tohato Ninja Snack Fuwamaru Soy Sauce Flavour — "These snacks are said to be so light on your tongue that they're comparable to ninja's footsteps over tatami mats — quiet and stealthy! Kinda like ghosts! They're barely there but you'll definitely feel their presence when they strike you with intense soy sauce flavour!"
• Yaokin Peach Gummies — "Did you know that the orange ghost in PAC-MAN is named Clyde? These little peachy gumdrops remind us of him! They say he's the ghost that just likes to roam around the map."
• Yaokin Melon Pandaro Cookie — "This classic panda-shaped melon biscuit is back! Especially for PAC-MAN! We all know how much he loves his fruits, 'cause that's how he gets those bonus points. Melon gives the most points —1,000 to be exact!"
• Jilin Confectionery Key Milk Chocolate Candies — "You just got a key in your Japan Crate! This gets you a whopping 5,000 points in PAC-MAN, and for that, you get some chocolate pellets!"
• Kyoshin Cherry Mochi Candies — "Get those cherries before they disappear! We're adding in these cherry-flavoured pellets that satisfy every Power Pellet craving."

• Nericho Cider Soft Ice — "This silly little DIY kit reminds us of Inky the blue ghost! Just mix a tablespoon of water with the powder, stir until it foams, and scoop some of that blue stuff to top the little wafer cones that come in the pack to make mini Inky ice cream cones!"
• Yaokin Saucy Senbei Rice Crackers — "Senbei are often enjoyed at Japanese festivals grilled with nori or lathered in sauces. We wanted to bring you the same experience with this little senbei packet!"
• Frito Lay Japan Dragon Potato Butter Soy Sauce Flavour — "Frito Lay is also in Japan and they have their own variety of chips they produce locally. Dragon Potato is a uniquely shaped chip that is reminiscent of a twirling dragon! They're really light and crisp, coated in our favourite butter-soy sauce flavour."
• Lotte Toppo Dark Chocolate Pretzel Sticks — "Chocolate sticks are a popular snack in Japan. Unlike most that are dipped on the outside, Toppo are tubular pretzel sticks filled with chocolate! These are filled with dark chocolate as a special edition."
• Marukawa Orange Fusen Gum — "These dagashii gum balls have been around for decades! They look like orange-flavoured Power Pellets that you can carry around and munch on while on the go."
• Morinaga Ramune Fizzy Candy — "Gobble up as many PAC-DOTS as you can with these little ramune-flavoured candies!"

Unanimous favourites from last month's box were the UHA Burnt Caramel Osatsudoki Potato Chips, Lion Halloween Kyachan Colour-Changing Hard Candy, and the Pepsi Halloween J-Cola Midnight (I really wish we had this over here; it's a blackcurrant-flavoured cola). The worst snacks were Peko Peko Halloween Konpeito (which tasted like rotten sugar pellets; I ate one and threw away the rest), Top Seika Scary Story Gum (which included a "scary story" card and a piece of tasteless gum), and the Orion Star Horror Mask and Candy (which included a "horror mask" and some generic hard candy). As usual, I will spend the next couple weeks making my way through everything here and see what the winners will be for November. I actually just got a notification for my December Japan Crate already, so I'm just going to be eating a lot of candy this month. 

Japan Crate: October 2018

My October Premium Japan Crate arrived this morning! In this month's "Halloween" box:

• UHA Burnt Caramel Osatsudoki Potato Chips
• Lotte Koala's March Halloween Chocolate Cookies
• Peko Peko Halloween Konpeito
• Yaokin Chee-Zack Cheese Biscuit
• Top Seika Scary Story Gum

• Tara Tara Halloween Dried Cod Fish
• Sanritsu Halloween Choco Bat
• Meito Halloween Alphabet Chocolate in Milk, Vanilla, and Pumpkin
• Orion Star Chibikko Mikan Orange Candy
• Bandai Makai Drink Succhimaoze

• Bourbon Disney Grape Fettuccine Gummi
• Kasugai Halloween Tsubu Gummy
• Marukawa Akabe Kurobe Gum
• Lion Halloween Kyachan Colour-Changing Hard Candy

• Pepsi Halloween J-Cola Midnight
• Orion Star Horror Mask and Candy
• Kit Kat Halloween Break Hand Talk Mini Bars
• Bourbon Halloween Mini Rumando Cocoa Cream Cookie

Unanimous favourites from last month's box were the Nissin Toko-Nattsu Pineapple Coconut Sable Cookies, the Watermelon Hi-Chew, and the Pachi Pachi Chocoball. The worst snacks were the Pokka Sapporo Gabunomi Zunda Cream Soda, which literally tasted like liquid mung bean mochi (I almost gagged), and the Kabaya Karipori Cola and Grape Candy Sticks, which wanted to be hard fizzy candy and Pocky at the same time (cool in concept, terrible in execution). Now, having gone through the October box assortment, I can tell you already that I won't even be opening the Scary Story Gum. Firstly, because I don't care for scary shit (that doll-like girl on the packaging is downright creepy), and secondly, because it literally contains a piece of white gum that is boring as shit (I read reviews). But I will spend the next couple weeks making my way through everything else and see what the winners will be for October! I suppose this will be my version of trick-or-treating.

Japan Crate: September 2018

My September Premium Japan Crate arrived this morning! In this month's "4th Anniversary" box:

• Calbee Yuzu Lemon Salt Potato Chips
• Pine Sherbet Pelo Cider Stick Dip Candy
• Meisan Dinosaur Cola Gummies
• Winnie the Pooh Strawberry Cream Marshmallow
• Maruyoshi Usagi Mambo Ramune Stick Candy

• Yaokin Mugipon Milk & Coffee Wheat Puffs
• Meigum Petit Petit Sherbet DIY Candy
• Meisan Pachi Pachi Panic Cola Popping Candy
• Yaokin Chewy Sour Grape Straw Candy
• Lion Classic Ramune Fizzy Hard Candy

• Pokka Sapporo Gabunomi Zunda Cream Soda
• Yamazaki Picola Peach Yogurt Biscuit Rolls
• Kabaya Karipori Cola and Grape Candy Sticks
• Sugimotoya Mochi Mochi Panda Annin Tofu Mochi Jellies

• Nissin Toko-Nattsu Pineapple Coconut Sable Cookies
• Morinaga Pachi Pachi Chocoball
• Morinaga Watermelon Hi-Chew Candy
• Yaokin Gateau Premium Chocolate Cookies

I've been thoroughly enjoying bringing random Japanese snacks to work everyday and getting my co-workers to try them out with me. We give each snack a first reaction and then a rating out of 10 and then state whether we'd eat them again. The Shoei Delicy Dress Palette Cheesecake Cookies, Senjaku Candy Land Yamagata Cherry Luxurious Gummy Candy, and the Pine Amanatsu & Rare Cheesecake Candy were the unanimous favourites from last month's box. What shall the winners be for September?

Japan Crate: August 2018

I am here to prove that Instagram ads work. I saw one for Japan Crate a couple months ago and was immediately interested. 

You might already know this, but I am a snack fiend. I consistently spend upwards of $75 a month on Asian snacks alone. Enter Japan Crate. A monthly subscription box that sends full-size Japanese snacks straight to your door with free worldwide shipping. I was sold. It was like this program was made just for me. I subscribed to the Premium box, which includes 18 to 20 snacks, a full-size drink, a DIY kit, and a bonus item for $35 USD a month. Go big or go home, right? So my first Japan Crate arrived today. It is Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card themed, and comes with an "exclusive sampler" of the manga. Manga in general doesn't interest me, but I guess the items in the box are somehow related to the series, and I can appreciate the cuteness that comes with that. So here's what I received in this box:

1. Ginbis Condensed Milk Tochiotome Strawberry Corn Stars
2. Coris Horadekita DIY Apple Flavored Chewing Candy Kit
3. Coris Watermelon Seed Ramune Candy
4. UHA Kororo Peach Juice Gummy Candy
5. Senjaku Candy Land Yamagata Cherry Luxurious Gummy Candy
6. Coris Kakigori Shaved Ice Ramune Candy
7. Yaokin Mozzarella & Camembert Premium Umaibo
8. Shoei Delicy Dress Palette Cheesecake Cookies
9. Yaokin Strawberry Cream Roll Cake
10. Pine Amanatsu & Rare Cheesecake Candy
11. Kirin Gogo Mango Lassi Tea
12. Koikeya Usushio Potato Chips
13. Kyoshin Candy Box Mochiame
14. Top Seika Cola Gum
15. Yaokin Prawn & Mayonnaise Umaibo
16. Yaokin Chocolate & Vanilla Ice Cream Lollipop
17. Yaokin Hi Kick Strawberry Lollipop
18. Yaokin Strawberry Daifuku Cream Marshmallow

Needless to say, I am overwhelmingly excited.