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As I write this I am savoring a cup of Hokkaido Genmaicha tea from a Sakuraco Holidays In Hokkaido snack box, dreaming of Japan. I had the privilege of visiting Japan a few years ago, and completely fell in love with the country's traditions, culture, food, and people.
Back home in the United States, I've discovered that one of the best ways that I can continue my love of Japan is through Japan's food. Whether it be drinking Japanese tea, cooking a Japanese dish, or enjoying Japan's incredible array of snacks, I can savor a taste of Japan even though I am 1000's of miles away.
When it comes to snacks, I am craving authentic Japanese snacks. Fortunately, you and I can get our hands on these authentic snacks through monthly subscription boxes. These are conveniently delivered to our doors filled to the brim with incredible Japanese snacks!
Jump to:
- Sakuraco and Bokksu - Leaders In The Japanese Subscription Snack Box Services
- Why Sakuraco Delivers The BEST Japan Experience For You!
- Sakuraco and Bokksu Backgrounds
- What Is In The Boxes And The Unboxing Experience
- Sakuraco vs. Bokksu Quality, Authenticity, And Quantity Of Snacks
- Sakuraco vs. Bokksu Pricing and Value For Money
- Go With Sakuraco For The BEST Japan Experience!
- FAQ
- Hungry For More Information About Japanese Snacks?
- Join Me On A Fun Food Journey!
Sakuraco and Bokksu - Leaders In The Japanese Subscription Snack Box Services
Sakuraco and Bokksu are two of the best known Japanese Subscription Snack Box companies. If you, like me, are excited about indulging in authentic Japanese snacks, then you may be considering one of these two companies.
Both companies offer monthly snack boxes containing a mix of sweet and savory flavors, tea pairings, and snack guides for your delight.
These boxes offer curated snacks that are different from month to month based on different themes. The themes include seasonal and cultural themes, as well as highlighting various areas of Japan and the culinary traditions or foods that the area is renowned for.
If You Value A Deeper Understanding Of Japanese Culture, Choose Sakuraco
However, Sakuraco has some distinctions that make it a clear choice for those of us that value a deeper appreciation of Japanese culture and traditions, experienced through enjoying artisanal Japanese teas and snacks.
So please read on to discover why Sakuraco outshines Bokksu when it comes to providing the BEST Japan Experience for you!
Why Sakuraco Delivers The BEST Japan Experience For You!
In this post, I will compare Sakuraco and Bokksu and will give you my opinion and verdict on why Sakuraco offers the BEST authentic Japan experience for you. I will also compare other factors to consider including pricing and shipping.
The reasons are clear why you should choose Sakuraco if you are after the most authentic Japanese snacking experience:
- Sakuraco is based in Japan whereas Bokksu is not
- Local makers and artisans are selected and chosen by Sakuraco which helps to keep and preserve Japanese culture and traditions
- You will be the recipient of a wonderful Japanese home good in the Sakuraco boxes, which will help elevate your snacking experience and become a treasured keepsake
- Sakuraco offers 100% wagashi and doesn't include dagashi. Wagashi are more culturally significant than dagashi, which may be included in some of Bokksu's snack boxes
- Although some options that Bokksu offers may be a bit cheaper, you'll get better value for money with Sakuraco due to the higher quality of the artisanal snacks and the home good included in their box. And if you'd like to try out a single box, Sakuraco could work out less expensive for you
So now I'll explain more in detail about why you should choose Sakuraco.
First, a little bit about the background of each company!
Sakuraco and Bokksu Backgrounds
Sakuraco was founded by Ayumi Chikamoto in 2021. She began sharing Japanese snacks with TokyoTreat in 2015, but wanted to offer a service that focused more on Japanese snack and afternoon tea culture. So, Sakuraco was born!
Bokksu was founded in 2015-2016 by Danny Taing. Danny fell in love with Japanese snacks while living in Japan. He started Bokksu so that people outside of Japan could also enjoy the special snacks very often made by family businesses that didn't sell their snacks overseas.
Sakuraco is based in Japan, and Bokksu is based in New York City in the US, with a second office in Tokyo.
As Sakuraco is actually based in Japan, it means that they are able to better support the local businesses in their community, which helps them to deliver a true authentic cultural experience.
What Is In The Boxes And The Unboxing Experience
Both Sakuraco and Bokksu Snack Boxes are attractive boxes filled to the brim with snacks.
I love in particular the beautiful boxes from Sakuraco, which come with a label stating that it was "Carefully Crafted In Japan." The box pictured below is their Valentine themed February 2025 box.
The unboxing experience is a delight, and the presentation of both boxes is top notch.
Each Sakuraco box also comes with a postcard from Ayumi Chikamoto, the founder of the company. There is a beautiful Japanese scene on one side of the postcard, and the other side is Ayumi's warm note to her Sakuraco family explaining the theme for that month's box.
Both boxes also include Snack and Culture Guides. These beautifully illustrated guides include detailed information on on the snacks and teas which come with the snack boxes, as well as allergen information. These guides are essential in enriching your snack experience.
It's interesting to note that Sakuraco's guide is read from right to left (as in Japan), whereas Bokksu's guide is left to right (as in the US).
These guides also offer information and stories about Japanese culture, and most importantly some of the makers of the snacks are also highlighted.
There are a variety of both sweet and savory snacks, as well as tea pairings, in each box.
However, I absolutely love that Sakuraco includes a piece of traditional tableware in each of their boxes. There's nothing like using the tableware you receive to enhance the experience of enjoying your snacks and treats!
VERDICT: Sakuraco
Both boxes are beautiful, come with informative and fun Snack Guides, and are filled with tasty Japanese snacks. But I have to give Sakuraco the edge because of the Japanese home good that comes in their boxes. Your home good will last a lot longer than your snacks, and you may be able to include it in your snack time to display a snack on a dish, or rest your teacup on a beautiful coaster!
Sakuraco vs. Bokksu Quality, Authenticity, And Quantity Of Snacks
Both Sakuraco and Bokksu offer some tasty savory and sweet snacks! Now let's discover more about the quality of their snacks and how they are selected.
Sakuraco
When you subscribe to Sakuraco, you will receive the same monthly snack box that everyone receives in the month you subscribe.
Their boxes often highlight different regions and areas of Japan each month. For example, the December 2024 box theme was "Holidays in Hokkaido," and featured authentic snacks and tea from northern prefecture such as Hokkaido Strawberry Chocolate Cookie.
And their February 2025 box is a Valentine themed box "Valentine's Delights," which is perfect for sharing with your loved one or loved ones!
There 20 authentic Japanese snacks and candy in each Sakuraco box, which are 100% locally hand-picked. This means that they can guarantee that only the highest quality and the finest snacks are selected for their customers.
Sakuraco partners with local prefectures, and have built close relationships and work directly with family-owned Japanese businesses whose passions are making traditional authentic snacks. These artisans have dedicated their lives to the pursuit of making the perfect snacks for us to enjoy.
The snacks, candy, and tea that come in the Sakuraco boxes are traditional authentic snacks made by local makers.
Sakuraco offers high quality wagashi, and not dagashi. Wagashi play a central role in Japanese culture, with a compelling history and tradition behind them. These snacks often accompany green tea and are served at special occasions as well as tea ceremonies.
Dagashi on the other hand, are much more casual snacks that are typically less expensive and not associated with special occasions. They also are not culturally significant like wagashi are.
Bokksu
Each Bokksu box includes 20-22 Japanese snacks and tea, also sourced from local makers in Japan.
With Bokksu, everyone's first box will be their "Seasons of Japan" themed box. This box is "a year-round taste tour of Japan with some of the best snacks Bokksu has curated."
After the first box, subscribers will receive the monthly themed boxes. Past themes have included Onsen Vacations and Autumn Hues Awaken, as well as a Summer in Okinawa box highlighting this beautiful Japanese island's flavors.
Bokksu also works with small family-run businesses, which you can feel good about supporting when you subscribe.
As Bokksu focuses on different themes, their boxes may include a mixture of traditional snacks as well as dagashi. These boxes offer a well-rounded snacking experience as they include high quality Japanese sweets and candy, savory snacks, and teas, and do not come with a Japanese home good as Sakuraco does.
VERDICT: Sakuraco
Sakuraco offers a more authentic Japan experience than Bokksu does. They emphasize offering high quality wagashi, traditional snacks with cultural significance. This will give you a more genuine Japanese cultural snacking experience.
If quantity matters to you, then it's possible you may receive a couple more snacks in a Bokksu box. However, if you value the higher quality that artisanal snacks offer, then go with Sakuraco.
Sakuraco vs. Bokksu Pricing and Value For Money
As of this writing, here is a price comparison for monthly box subscriptions from Sakuraco and Bokksu:
| Sakuraco | Bokksu | |
| 1 month | $37.50/month (total $37.50/month) | $39.99/month (total $39.99/month) |
| 3 months | $35.50/month (total $106.50/quarterly) | $34.99/month (total $104.97/quarterly) |
| 6 months | $33.50/month (total $201.00/bi-annually) | $32.99/month (total $197.94/bi-annually) |
| 12 months | $32.50/month (total $390.00/year) | $29.99/month (total $359.88/year) |
| Shipping per box to the US | $12.50 | $9.99 |
| Estimated delivery time to the US | 2-14 business days after shipping | 1-2 weeks after shipping |
With both boxes, you'll save more the longer term that you choose to subscribe to. The prices are fairly similar, with the biggest difference being the 12 month subscription.
Both services allow you to manage your subscription, including skipping a month or cancelling at any time if you wish.
Be aware that if you decide on the 1 month option with either company, you are still signing up for a subscription. This means if you only want one box, you will have to cancel your account after ordering the one box.
Occasionally they will offer deals with your first order. For example, as of this writing, Sakuraco is offering $5.00 off when you submit your email on their form.
So, if you'd like to try out a single box, Sakuraco would be the better option if you include the $5.00 off your first order offer.
Please note that the shipping costs may be different than what is in the above chart depending on what country the box is going to. You'll want to check each companies website to determine your actual shipping cost.
VERDICT: Sakuraco
Although Bokksu may be a bit cheaper, I feel that Sakuraco offers the greater value for money not only because of the superb quality and authenticity of their snacks, but also because of the inclusion of the keepsake home good that comes in each box.
Also if you only want to try out a single box, Sakuraco ends up being the less expensive option if you are able to take advantage of a discount on your first order.
Go With Sakuraco For The BEST Japan Experience!
If you value wanting a deeper appreciation for an understanding of Japan and its culture and traditions, you'll want to choose Sakuraco over Bokksu for your Japanese snack box subscription.
Sakuraco is dedicated to bringing you the BEST Japan snacking experiences! From the Sakuraco website, you can clearly see that:
- They are passionate about "bringing authentic Japanese sweets, local specialties and their history to the world."
- Sharing authentic Japanese culture and tradition, especially tea culture, is a key feature of their services to their community
- Last but not least, Sakuraco was awarded the Cool Japan Matching Award 2022 by the Japanese Government for Leading Export Special Award! This means that Sakuraco has been "Recognized by the Japanese Government as an important bridge to the rest of the world providing the best of Japanese traditional snacks and teas" (per Sakuraco website). How cool is that? 😊
So what are you waiting for? Head over to Sakuraco and subscribe to enjoy the absolute BEST in Japanese snacking experiences!
FAQ
You'll find a total of 20 authentic Japanese candy, snacks, teas and a beautiful home good in each Sakuraco box.
At this time, you can try out one box however you will still need to choose one of the subscription options. Once you do, you can pause or cancel your subscription at anytime.
Sakuraco's parent company is Ichigo Inc. It was founded Ayumi Chikamoto in 2021 and is based in Tokyo, Japan.
Sakuraco does ship worldwide to many different countries! For details, please view this article from Sakuraco on shipping information.
Hungry For More Information About Japanese Snacks?
If you'd like more information about Japanese snacks, then have a look at:
- Sakuraco - The BEST Traditional And Artisan Japanese Snacks Boxes! - this post includes an in depth review of the Sakuraco December 2024 Holidays in Hokkaido box!
- TokyoTreat - The BEST Japanese Subscription Snacks Boxes!
Join Me On A Fun Food Journey!
If you'd like to come along on this food journey with me, please sign up to get the latest recipes and inspiration for you to expand your food comfort zone! It's an incredible journey, please join me by signing up here.
Questions or comments? Email me at grace@explorecookeat.com.
Cheers!
Grace
