Don't you just love Japanese subscription boxes? You can order a box filled with amazing items that change every month. It's like having a bowl of edible Netflix content. There are so many subscription boxes to choose from, but in this article, we will be going over two of Japan's elite Subscription boxes; Japan Crate and ZenPop. Let’s get started!
Japan Crate was the first-ever Japanese subscription box made. It was founded in 2014 by Hank Rao after he visited Japan for the first time. He had always been amazed by Japanese culture, so he came up with the idea of conveying his love and experience of the country through subscription boxes. His idea has led to other companies creating their subscription boxes, and in a way, is the reason we are writing this article in the first place.
ZenPop was founded in 2016 by a Japanese company called Zenmarket.Inc (now ZenGroup Inc.). The company offers online shopping and proxy services for thousands of customers across the globe but ZenPop was created to help people around the world get access to authentic Japanese snacks at affordable rates.
Japan Crate boxes come with a range of full-size candies and snacks, along with other items.
ZenPop boxes come with at least 20 items of different varieties. ZenPop offers other types of boxes, but this description is restricted to the snack subscription box.
Japan Crate has other crates to give customers more authentic Japanese experiences.
ZenPop offers three other subscription boxes.
And, they have a Limited Edition box, which changes every few months!
Each snack crate comes with its theme. Themes are usually tailored around festivities and seasons but can also be made with an anime or some other cool concept.
Examples of past themes are the Cherry blossom crate which was made to reflect the beautiful Sakura season, Lost in Japan Crate, which gave subscribers a very traditional Japanese experience; other examples include crates like the Christmas crate and New Year's. There are also anime-themed crates like the Attack on Titan crate, and Persona 5 crate, amongst many others.
ZenPop snack boxes are also themed around festivities and unique concepts.
Past themes include Kyoto Spring, a box themed around the feeling of spring in the beautiful city of Tokyo, and Sakura Treat, which also reflects the Sakura season.
Other boxes like the anime, ramen, and stationery pack are also themed. Examples of past themes are the Saiyan surprise anime box, Blooming Creativity stationery pack, and so much more.
Japan crate offers four subscription tiers, including shipping fees.
ZenPop also offers four subscription options.
NOTE: The prices listed below are for ZenPop's snack box;
Japan Crate offers free shipping to most countries except for a few where shipping costs $9.95. To know which group your country of residence falls into, visit the official website. Delivery time to the United States takes 3-5 working days, while Canada takes 7-10 and 10-20 working days to the rest of the world.
ZenPop delivers to nearly 70 countries and offers free shipping to the United States. Shipping to other countries usually acquires shipping costs that could range up to $20. Another factor that affects delivery time is the delivery medium used. ZenPop boxes are available for shipping via DHL, Zen Express, UPS, Airmail, FedEx, ECMS, and EMS.
We could compare many other things, from box sizes to a deep exposition on each item, but we wouldn't want to bore you with too much detail. We've made sure to discuss what's most important in helping you choose which to purchase.
Do you find yourself craving Japanese munchies, why don’t you order a ZenPop snack box where you get loads of candies and snacks from Japan?
This article was originally written by our freelance writer Umm-Kulthum Abdulkareem and edited by us.