See, Shop, Love!

Last month I received a Hello Kitty x Bokksu box, but I decided to switch to the regular Bokksu subscription. The January 2024 box was my first and it was so cute!

*Disclaimer: This box was purchased by See, Shop, Love! Post contains referral links.

The standard Bokksu subscription is sent out monthly, unlike the Hello Kitty version, which is quarterly. It’s $49.99 per month, or $45.99 per month every three months ($137.97), $43.99 every six months ($263.94), or $39.99 per month yearly ($479.88). Shipping is free worldwide.

You’ll receive 20 or more snacks from family businesses in Japan in each box centered around a monthly theme. For January, Bokksu debuted their new mascot, “Fokksu,” and all of the treats were very kawaii, or cute!

What I like about Bokksu is that you can see what treats will be in the box before you’re charged, so you can skip without fear of missing out on something you’ll enjoy. When I saw what would be included for January, I knew I had to sign up.

Each box also comes with a full color booklet with great photos of all of the snacks, information on the monthly theme, and detailed information about the vendors, common allergens, and more for each snack. I appreciate being able to learn about each of the Japanese businesses that are being supported through my Bokksu subscription.

My main issue with the Hello Kitty Bokksu was that there weren’t enough treats and the box was more expensive at $59.99 (even though it was quarterly, I still felt the amount of snacks didn’t justify the price). That being said, the standard Bokksu was packed with snacks. I’m more of a quantity person, so seeing a box with lots of items that may not add up to a higher retail value is more satisfying. Plus, I know that Bokksu always sends high quality snacks.

Here’s what was inside for January:

Lucky Mayo Curry Okaki Rice Crackers by Sanshin: I love rice crackers and these were flavored with Japanese curry and mayonnaise. The curry had good heat but wasn’t too spicy, and the giraffe on the package is just too cute!

Amaou Strawberry Dorayaki by Ichiei Shokuhin: These mini dorayaki are made of two castella cake pancakes with red bean paste flavored with Amaou strawberries, known as the “king” of Japanese strawberries. I love strawberry anything, and the Amaou flavor balanced well with the red bean paste. I’m glad Bokksu included two of them!

Ehime Mikyan Langue de Chat by Rise: “Langue de chat” is French for “cat tongue,” and I’ve had German chocolates named “Katzenzungen” (also cat’s tongues), which is not really germane to this box but something I found funny. The cookies have chocolate infused with mikan (mandarin oranges) and were light and not too sweet. The package features Mikyan, the official character of Ehime Prefecture, who loves mikan.

Rusk Strawberry Chocolate by All Hearts Company: This little biscuit with the hedgehog packaging is known as a “rusk,” and it had a crouton-like texture but wasn’t savory. The strawberry chocolate coating was delicious.

Sakuyama Choco Jiro Chocolate Cookies by Shoei Delicy: These were my favorite snack of the month! They’re little butter cookies with chocolate coating on the other side that features 100 different imprints of a character called Choco Jiro (also featured on the package). The crunch from the cookie and smoothness of the chocolate were so good.

Shiawase Happy Honey Tea by Kyoei Seicha: This tea is a sweet honey black tea that can be brewed hot or cold, and can also be made into a milk tea. I’m not sure how I’m going to drink it yet, but I think the honey flavor will taste great.

Umeshiso Uma Sen Rice Crackers by Sakata Beika: These crackers have umeboshi (pickled plums) and shiso (perilla leaves) for flavor, as well as savory soy sauce. I love pickled plum and the sourness balanced the soy sauce well. I couldn’t really pick up much on the perilla leaf, which was interesting because that’s also a strong flavor.

Hama Nashi Pear Gummy by Kaneka Shokuhin: I love these gummies! They’re made with rare Hamanashi pear from Yokohama City with a “juicy jelly center,” according to the info booklet. I was hoping for more “bursts of flavor,” but they’re still very good. Not the Gushers-style juicy center in American gummies, but that’s probably a good thing.

Tabekko Biscuit Aquarium White Chocolate by Ginbis: These cookies are so cute, with 47 sea creature shapes that are covered in white chocolate. The coating is thin but that makes them the perfect level of sweet.

Gonjiri Pickled Daikon Radish Bites by Muraoka Foods: These are a traditional gonjiri (crunchy) snack made from dried daikon radish, providing a balance of sweetness and acidity. They’re usually eaten as a side with ramen or rice. I was really hoping that I would like these because I love pickled radish, but the texture wasn’t as crunchy as I was hoping.

Melon Roll Cake by Bokksu x Isoppu Seika: This handmade cake is considered Amakusa City’s traditional nanban temakikashi, or confection. It’s made with Portuguese castella cake and rolled with white bean paste with a rich melon flavor. I loved the softness of this cake and the not too sweet flavor of the melon.

Fruit Daifuku Mochi in White Peach by Bokksu x Hata Seika: This filled mochi is made with a white peach center with powdered sugar coating. I’ve gained a new appreciation for mochi from Bokksu, and this one was one of the best I’ve ever had!

Kumamoto Strawberry No Tamago Cake by Kumamoto Yutaka: This egg-shaped (tamago) maju (steamed, fluffy bun) is made with Aso Oguni Jersey milk and a center with strawberries from the Kumamoto Prefecture. It’s also covered in white chocolate. I love strawberry in desserts, so this was a hit for sure.

Doon Tarou Udon Bites by Yaokin: I don’t normally eat cooked udon since the texture is a bit too thick, but these dried, crunchy bites of noodle were perfect! They’re inspired by kitsune age udon, a type of dish with fried tofu in a dashi broth.

Mugi Chocolate by Realize Planning: This snack wins for cutest packaging! I love the little bear on the front. They’re barley pops covered in chocolate and were yummy little bites.

Cat Ramune by Ueo Seika: And this snack wins for cutest overall! I love cats, so I haven’t even eaten these because the shape is so adorable. They’re hard candies made with fine-grained wasanbon sugar from Tokushima Prefecture and kuzu flour from Nara Prefecture with a raume (lemon and lime soda) flavor.

Here are some more photos of some of the snacks up-close.

The January “Fokksu Favorites” was one of my favorite subscription boxes I’ve ever gotten, mostly because I love snacks and cute things! I really enjoyed all of the snacks, even if the dried pickled radish weren’t my favorite.

Visit Bokksu to subscribe (link contains a coupon for $15 off)

Bottom Line: I think Bokksu is one of the best quality Japanese snack boxes and I love that they partner with family-owned businesses in Japan instead of larger manufacturers. Each theme is well thought out and the snacks are so good!