Main Features of Tokyo Treat:
- Variety of traditional Japanese snacks, treats, snack kits, and drinks
- Monthly shipping, with several payment plans
- Ability to gift others
- Free shipping worldwide
- Perk points
- Community connections and trade-ins
Snack boxes have been a mainstay in subscription services–but now innovative options like Tokyo Treat are bringing international treats to right to customers’ doorsteps, making it a subscription service that not only provides tasty snacks, but also a piece of culture they might not otherwise experience.
To be sure, snack box subscriptions is a crowded field, including popular options such as TopMunch, Graze Box, SnackSak, SnackCrate, and even diet-specific options such as Keto Krate and health-conscious favourites like Nature Box.
We’ll start by covering the most frequently asked questions about snack boxes and Tokyo Treat, then look into whether or not this snack box subscription is right for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What comes in a snack crate?
The term snack box and snack crate are considered somewhat interchangeable, but what comes with a snack crate, depends, of course, on the individual subscription and company. You can expect anywhere from just a few up to twenty snacks per crate, in general (not Tokyo Treat specifically). Snack subscriptions tend to have some sort of theme: location-based; a lifestyle based or brand centred.
In what ways are snack crates different than other food subscription services?
Snack crates, as they sound, are catered towards snacks, which is far different from meal subscription services, which provide prep for full lunches and dinners, most typically. They tend to be naturally less expensive and work more on a monthly basis, where you receive a single package a month, as opposed to meal kits, where you receive delivery several times a week. Also, snack crates are almost exclusively packaged food, and thus, can be shipped from much further away.
Are subscription boxes a waste of money?
This is highly variable–while in many cases subscription boxes can provide value, there are also companies that do not supply adequate service, are overpriced, or have generally poor customer service. Subscription boxes provide convenience, sometimes surprise, but they can cost you more than simply buying snacks yourself. The value of snack subscription boxes such as Tokyo Treat is that who has access to food you might otherwise not.
What is Tokyo Treat?
Tokyo Treat is a snack subscription box that sends Japanese candy and sweet treats on a monthly basis. All snacks are delivered from Japan and arrive at your place of residence. In addition, the subscription can be delivered right to you or gifted to someone. Tokyo Treat is one of many options for an international snack subscription service and offer convenience and treats you wouldn’t normally find at a local grocery store.
What are Japanse snacks?
Keep in mind that the answer to this question doesn’t directly pertain to Tokyo Treat since Tokyo Treat mostly focuses on candies and sweets. However, common Japanse snacks include:
The most popular treats are:
- Senbei (rice crackers); Pocky (coated biscuit sticks that have actually enjoyed popularity in American supermarkets); Dorayaki (red bean pancakes); Melon Pan (sweet buns, also loved in Taiwan, Latin America, and China); Manju (steamed cakes); Dango (sweet dumplings related to mochi); Umaibo (corn puffs); wasabi peas; and Pretz (seasoned pretzel sticks).
- Japanese snacks are salty and sweet. They come in many varieties, some of which have become popular in other cultures as well.
Are there are other Japanese snack boxes (and which is the best)?
Tokyo Treat is one of many options if you’re interested not only in international snack boxes but Japanese snack boxes. Competitors include DokiDoki; Bokksu; Japan Crate; nmnl; Kira Kira Crate; Kawaii Box; Neco Box; Zenpop; Candy Box; Umai Crate; and Magna Spice Cafe, among many others.
Who is Tokyo Treat Owned by?
Tokyo Treat is owned by the same parent company as Yume Twins and nomakenolife. We’ll discuss some of these competitors later on, but it’s important to note that many have different niches. In this sense, only the snack and candy focused Japanese snack boxes would be the best competitors to Tokyo Treat. Some, like Magna Spice Cafe, focus on other products entirely, such as cafe drinks and salty snacks.
What is the best Japanese candy?
As you might imagine, ask this question and you’ll be provided with a myriad of answers. Subjective as it is, however, the most popular Japanese candies, according to a Japanese candy blog include:
- Ore no Milk Candy (hard candies known for a smooth, milky flavor); Ramune (soda flavored candies); Pineapple Candy; Umeboshi no Tane (plum flavored, sour hard candies); Fuwarinka Rose Candy (a chewy fruit candy that’s sweet and sour with rose oil); Anpanman Pero Pero Candy (lollipops based on a popular character); Awadama (apple, pineapple and grape candies that ‘fizzle’); Otokoume (plum gummies that are salty and sour); and Morinaga Salt Candy (salty and sweet caramel-like candy with rock salt from France).
How do I assess a snack subscription service?
In order to decide whether or not Tokyo Treat should be an option for you, you need to consider what’s valuable in a snack subscription box. Personal preferences aside, you want to find a subscription that offers comprehensive value in terms of products, pricing, delivery and customer service. Let’s take a look at just how well Tokyo Treat fares on these different criteria, and if we can recommend this snack box as a whole.
How expensive is Tokyo Treat?
Tokyo Treat offer two different subscription plans that provide different features and different pricing.
Classic:
The more economical of the two plans, Classic offers free worldwide shipping, twelve ‘full size’ items per box, four popular Japanese snacks, two Dagashi, one DIY candy kit, and a Candy guide book.
- Monthly options include twenty-two dollars/ month for a year; twenty-three dollars/ month for half a year; twenty-four dollars/ month for three months; or twenty-five dollars for the monthly plan.
Premium:
This plan comes with and additional full-size items, a Japanse drink, party pack, anime snack, an additional popular Japanese snack and Dagashi (plus the baseline of what you receive with the classic pack, and of course including free worldwide shipping).
- Monthly options are the same, but priced at thirty one-fifty/ month for a year; thirty-two dollars/ month for half a year; thirty-three dollars and fifty cents/ month for three months; and thirty-five dollars a month.
- These prices do not seem excessive when compared with competitors. While it’s hard to directly compare, due to the difference in items, here are some examples of competitor pricing:
- Japanese Crate costs thirty-five dollars a month for 18-20 items and a drink; Zenpop starts at twenty-seven dollars a month for fifteen sweets and various snacks.
Does Tokyo Treat subscriptions come with added perks?
In addition to the snack items we’ve already mentioned, Tokyo Treat comes with some added perks, the first of which being streaks.
- Streaks essentially are points that can be used as a credit to purchase items from Tokyo Treat’s store. Every month you’re subscribed, you accumulate more points. Items for purchase include toys and Japanese Kit Kats. The catch? If you miss a month, your points go back to zero.
- Community includes free access to an online community of other subscribers. In addition to connecting, you also have the ability to swap items.
What inspired, or is the main idea behind Tokyo Treat?
Tokyo Treat began with the desire to spread Japanese culture around the world, but also with a seasonal bent. In these regards, Tokyo Treat provides Japanese classics and also boxes influenced by the current season. Tokyo Treat is niche, but it also seeks to provide a fairly wide variety of different treatment types. While many know it as a candy box, in reality, it is more than that.
What are the items that come in a box?
While we have already covered the general item types (and how many) that are shipped with Tokyo Treat, you do get a glimpse of specific items you’ll receive, in two ways.
- Past Boxes can be perused by month. With this page, you can see the exact products that shipped for both basic and premium plans and even purchase products individually.
- What’s in My Box allows you to look at snacks within in one several category: Popular Snacks; Party Pack; Anime Snacks; Drinks; Dagashi; and DIY Kits, all of which are possible products you may receive.
- Popular Snacks include Kit Kats; Traditional Flavors (such as matcha and even wasabi); Savory Snacks; Jagabee Snacks (salty chips and crackers); Pocky; Hi-Chew; candies; and Pretz (pretzels).
- Party Pack include items such as candies, custard cakes, biscuits and cookies.
- Drinks feature Ramune; unique Japanese Sodas; Jelly Drinks; Milk Teas; and Japanese Fanta and Coca-Cola
- Dagashi is a popular brand of relatively inexpensive candy; the equivalent of American ‘penny’ candy.
- DIY Kits involve cartoon character candy kits.
Can you gift a subscription?
One fun feature that Tokyo Treat offers is the chance to gift a box. As with a subscription for you, you can opt for either a premium or classic box. You can select one year, half-year, or three-month plans.
How does shipping work?
Shipping, as we’ve mentioned, is free worldwide and will ship to any country that is listed on Japan post. You can change your shipping address by logging online.
- Changes are effective immediately for all boxes that have not yet shipped but must be made within two days of the next shipment to ensure you receive your package at the correct address.
- Tracking information is available, as well as insurance for your shipment as an added cost. A tracking and insurance bundle costs a little over forty dollars for six months; insurance is available for eighteen dollars and tracking only for thirty dollars. The insurance covers theft, damaged boxes, and missing boxes.
- Boxes usually arrive three to four weeks from your first order, then monthly.
What if I don’t have shipping insurance?
If you don’t have shipping insurance, you can still get refunds in the case of missing items from a received box or damaged items. However, damages during shipping or due to natural disasters, as well as theft, are not covered.
Can you purchase a single box without a subscription?
A big drawback for some may be that Tokyo Treat requires you to purchase a subscription and does not allow the purchase of a single box. However, you can opt for the monthly plan. While that will automatically renew, you can cancel it for the same effect as ordering a single box.
What customer support/ service is offered?
Tokyo Treat does not have a direct line, but an online form. The online query form requires your full name, email address, and a subject line. You have the ability to leave a general message and also add attachments. Per their website guidelines, you should receive a response within two days.
The site also offers a general help centre for the parent company (which also owns three other subscription boxes: Nomakenolife, Japan Haul and YumeTwins).
What’s the company’s reputation?
While it is hard to get information on the actual parent company, we can find reviews for Tokyo Treat. Keep in mind that, as a Japanese Company, it cannot be accredited through the Better Business Bureau.
On TrustPilot, Tokyo Treat received an average four and a half out of five stars based upon over three thousand and eight hundred customer reviews. Seventy-seven per cent of customers rated it as an excellent, and just three per cent as ‘bad’. Customers loved the variety, innovation and most items.
The few complaints stemmed from either not enjoying the taste, and a few claimed issues with Paypal charges, but none were consistent or prominent or even clear enough to raise a special alarm.
Overall, this service is highly rated amongst customers.
Is Tokyo Treat a subscription plan worth trying?
Tokyo Treat is one of the most highly rated snack subscriptions and offers a good value in terms of variety and authentic international snacks. Although often thought of as a supplier of sweet snacks, Tokyo Treat does also throw in a handful of salty favourites, as well as crossover treats (such as KitsKats) that may be more familiar to Northern Americans. So long as you feel comfortable with signing up for a subscription, then it’s certainly an option to consider. Nonetheless, here are some final pros and cons to share:
Pros:
- Variety of sweet, salty, and sour snacks
- Authentic snacks from Japan
- Options for insured shipping
- Free worldwide shipping
- High customer reviews
- Point Perks
Cons:
- Have to purchase a subscription
- A few complaints pertaining to Paypal
- Have to purchase add on insurance to protect against missing boxes and theft
- Japanese treats may not be everyone’s’ tastes
Where to Buy: If you’re interested, you can order a Tokyo Treat subscription right off their website, which is located here.
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