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a-year-of-sakuraco · 9 months ago

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January - New Year's in Hiroshima

Price Overview

A single Sakuraco box costs $37.50 USD (excluding shipping), if you choose a 12 month subscription (like I did) it costs $32.50 USD per box. This means this option is $60 cheaper than keeping a 1 month subscription active for a year. I don't remember the exact conversion rate at the time I ordered my box so I can't do a full breakdown of my subscription cost but to give you an idea I'll talk through what it would cost me if I ordered a 12 month subscription right now.

I live in Western Australia so as of now, it would cost $49.85 AUD per box or $598.20 AUD total for the entire year, not including shipping.

On Sakura.co, the shipping is calculated at checkout once you put your address in. You don’t have to put your card details in for the amount to come up. For me this is $12.50 USD or $19.18 AUD once converted. So for 12 boxes it works out to be $230.16 AUD.

So all up if I ordered a 12 month subscription plan from Sakuraco today (07/02/24), it would cost me $828.36 AUD (it was $812.63 when I put my order in). So $69.03 per box on this plan.

Obviously this is a lot of money to spend, which is why I wanted to write these reviews. I know that I like to do a deep dive into reading and watching reviews from people before I buy something this expensive - which I did - and I was hoping my account could help someone else struggling with the same decision.

Shipping

Below is the shipping details for my first box. I started my subscription on the 12th of January.

Note: all of the below times are in JST.

Once my box was dispatched on the 17th I had no idea where it was. I was expecting Australia Post to let me know when they had my package and to keep me informed from there but that didn't happen. Obviously that isn't Sakuraco's fault but it did bother me. I received my box on the 29th of January.

Free Gift - Lucky Neko Collection

When I started my subscription, the Lucky Neko Collection free gift was avaliable so I added two very cute cat paw shaped glasses to my order. This promo is no longer available, but if you plan on ordering a 3, 6 or 12 month subscription you may want to wait for a promo like this that contains an item that you want. Currently until the 15th of February JST, the free gift offered is a Valentine's Day themed collection. (Update: it's now the Hanami Teatime Set which is themed for Sakura season and looks absolutely beautiful.)

Condition Upon Arrival

My first box arrived in a bigger box containing the January box, one of the cat paw glasses and the noriten that was removed from the Sakuraco box to make room for the second cat paw glass. I am glad that my box came protected in another box as it arrived in perfect condition, however, I have heard that Sakuraco boxes have arrived with no protection and with the shipping info taped to the box itself which is difficult to remove without causing damage.

Thanks to the extra space needed for the free gift this hasn't happened to me this month but I am concerned about whether or not my February box will arrive with some form of protection (inside another box or at the very least wrapped) or if it will arrive unprotected and damaged as I have seen happen to some other people. I really hope it doesn't arrive unprotected but I will have to wait to see.

Box Contents

13 different individually packaged snacks (including tea)

18 total individually packaged snacks (including tea)

1 home good - furoshiki

1 snack/culture guide and a note from the founder

The information for this box can be found on their website at https://sakura.co/past-boxes/january-2024

The box was smaller than I expected it to be. I watched a lot of Sakuraco unboxing and review videos on Youtube prior to subscribing and yet somehow it always looked bigger to me. It measures at approximately 20x20x9.5 cm.

I really like how every Sakuraco box has a different design that matches the theme and this one is stunning. The box is a golden colour featuring a reflective Torii gate surrounded by fireworks above the Sakuraco logo. There are also more fireworks around the sides of the box. This perfectly captures the theme of the month by showing Hiroshima's most notable landmark in the midst of celebration.

This theme is replicated by the cover of the snack guide which features an actual photo of the Torii gate of Itsukushima Shrine during a New Years celebration.

The snack/culture guide contains information about some of Hiroshima's landmarks and cultural traditions as well as a guide to all the snacks within the box and a detailed description about two specific snack makers featured this month.

There is also a list of common allergens that are in each snack as well as a 'May Contain Traces of' section which is incredibly helpful if you have food allergies. On each snack it is also stated whether of not the snack is vegetarian. So a lot of food requirements are accounted for.

As an example of something that isn't accounted for - there is no mention of whether or not a snack is vegan. Despite this, I think there would be very few scenarios where a non-vegan snack would be mistakenly eaten. Some non-vegan ingredients (e.g. egg and seafood) are also common allergens so they will be declared. There's also a good chance that non-vegan flavours will be mentioned in either the name of the snack or the description. For example the description of the New Year's Senbei states that it is "coated in honey and soy". So its pretty obvious it contains honey, which isn't vegan. Obviously care would still need to be taken and there is still a chance that some food requirements may be overlooked so there is room for improvement but overall I think the coverage is pretty good.

There is a QR code in the booklet that claims it will take you to a more detailed description about the allergy information. When I scanned this, however, it said that the page didn't exist. My current theory for this is that the page is only valid until the information for the next box is released on their website - this change occurs on the 15th of every month. Since I signed up on the 12th, my boxes will always arrive after the cut off date so if this is why I will never be able to see this page for any of my boxes. This is pure speculation of my part however, I don't know nor do I have a way of knowing why the link doesn't work. The allergy information for each box can also be viewed on their website under each box's contents but since this is exactly the same as what is written in the guide, I'm assuming this isn't where the QR code is supposed to go to.

I love that Sakuraco has a focus on showcasing both the culture and history of specific regions as well as the local businesses that make these snacks. For me, this was a major reason that I chose to subscribe. I really enjoyed reading the cultural guide and this might be asking a bit much but I wish there was a more detailed description of more of the maker's responsible for the snacks in the box.

The guide talks about the history and production of the Miyajima Cocoa Cookie and the Banana Baumkuchen and Tsubu Arare which is really cool but I would have liked to learn about where some of the other snacks specifically came from and how they're made.

Adzuki Bean Tea

Expires - 01/12/24

The packaging of this again features the Torii surrounded by fireworks and it looks very pretty. You'll note that pretty packaging is a recurring theme in this box.

Immediately upon opening there was an almost overwhelming sweet smell coming from the sachet. Due to this I was worried that it would be far too strong, but once steeped, the tea itself had a more subtle sweet aroma. Just like it smelled, the tea is sweet with a nutty or earthy taste to it. I really enjoyed drinking this tea. I found that I got the sweetness right away and then as I got used to that, the nutty taste came through more while the sweetness was more subtle. Once I was finished drinking I was left again with a sweet aftertaste.

The powder in the tea bag was very fine - I don't know how relatable this is but if you're Australian or have been to Australia the consistency of the powder was very similar to that of red dirt - and I did find upon opening, that there was a lot of powder loose inside the package. This powder did also get all over my fingers and bench while putting the tea bag into the cup and naturally this also meant that I ended up with a bit of powder in my tea as well. This didn't bother me too much as the powder is quite fine and I didn't find it annoying at all but I thought it was worth noting.

Miyajima Cocoa Cookie

Expires - ???

The packaging of this cookie features a very beautifully painted (drawn?) image of Itsukushima Shrine. The website of Tomoeya Kiyonobu who make this cookie is written on the back in English which is neat and allows you to look at there other products and learn more about the company. It's http://tomoe-ya.co.jp if you're interested. Tomoeya Kiyonobu was one of the makers that the snack guide gives a focus to.

This cookie was delicious and I wish the box had more than one. It features a really sweet cocoa cream between two egg crackers. The amount of cocoa cream is perfect for the crackers. It was very sweet and you probably couldn't eat too many at once but if you like sweet foods (which I do) its really nice.

Setouchi Lemon Cream Cookie

Expires: ???

The packaging for this snack is far more simple - featuring a white branching design with empty space in the middle so the design of the cracker can be properly appreciated.

And I really did appreciate the design - another Torii gate with fireworks but this time on a cracker! I think it looks very impressive with the red of the gate and the paler differently coloured fireworks in the background. It even features the reflection of the gate in the water!

The booklet states that Hiroshima Setouchi Lemons are "sweeter, milder and juicier than standard lemons." The lemon cream of the cracker is definitely quite sweet and mild while its being eaten but I found it left quite a sour taste in my mouth for a little while after eating which I wasn't expecting but really enjoyed. Its like when you're eating it, its quite sweet and then afterwards you just get sourness. It tasted really interesting and I've never had anything lemon flavoured that tasted similar. Its a very nice balance between sweet and sour and I liked the texture of the cracker as well. The texture of this cracker is different from that of the cocoa cream cookie, if I had to try to define them this one is more of a cracker while the cocoa one is more of a hard biscuit, if that makes sense.

Setouchi Olive & Wine Vinegar Noriten

Expires - 20/06/2024

Number in Packet - ≈20

So as stated above, the noriten in my January box was taken out to make room for the free gift I ordered. It was also the only item in my box that arrived broken. And by broken, I mean two or three of the individual chips were snapped into a few pieces. So given that this has been the extent of the damage to the items within my box I'm pretty happy.

Noriten is a snack featuring deep fried seafood (in this case squid) and seaweed. I don't like seafood so I wasn't really expecting to like this - which I didn't. That being said, I did love the vinegar and olive flavouring and if I had that on a rice cracker or something instead, it would probably be one of my favourite snacks in the box. For me, the squid ruins the taste but if I try to look at it objectively - I do get all the individual flavours together, nothing is overpowering anything else and each individual noriten is full of flavour. So if you do enjoy seafood, I imagine you would really like this snack.

Miso Peanut Tetra

Expires - ???

Number in packet - 6 in each

I loved these. The air filled triangular packaging is very cute and fun and the flavour is so good. The sweetness of the white miso goes really well with the peanuts and I definitely prefer these to eating salted peanuts (which I also like).

Tsubu Arare

Expires: 04/06/24

Number in packet: 17

The abstract shrimp and seaweed on the packaging is pretty cute and perfectly showcases the flavours within. There were 8 shrimp arare and 9 seaweed flavoured ones.

I'm probably going to be saying this a lot over the course of these reviews but again - I don't like seafood. I don't hate seaweed the way I hate fish, crustaceans, etc but I'm still usually not that fond of it. However, I actually did legitimately like the seaweed one and would have happily eaten another packet of just that one flavour. I didn't really like the shrimp ones though. I kept eating them trying to figure out whether or not I liked them but if there was another packet I wouldn't have reached for them. I did also really enjoy the crunchy texture of both.

Banana Baumkuchen

Expires - 04/04/24

The first of this German cake to be baked in Japan, was made in Hiroshima during WW1. It looks very impressive with the many layers that mirror log rings.

All of the baked goods came with little sachets of what I'm assuming is silica gel inside. This has done a good job of keeping the cake and the other baked goods fresh and moist. It's been kept so moist that your fingers literally come away wet after touching it however, the cake doesn't feel soggy so this didn't bother me.

This Baumkuchen is banana flavoured. It definitely tastes and smells like it has real banana in it, not just an artificial flavouring. The banana comes through quite strongly and is easy to identify. The cake itself was very dense and hard to chew, which I imagine is normal for Baumkuchen since there isn't much air in it, but since this is my first one I can't say for sure what it should taste like. I did enjoy it however and it does look very cool.

Setouchi Lemon Mochi

Expires: 15/05/24

Number in Packet: 9

Just like the lemon cream cookie, this was made using Setouchi lemons. The texture of these are perfect for mochi, they're soft, stretchy and sticky. The flavour is also really nice. The lemon flavour is very sweet and the sourness is more mild. However, it has chunks of lemon rind in it which give extra bursts of sourness as well as adding to the texture. After eating, I was left with a sour aftertaste in my mouth. The taste was a lot stronger than that of the lemon cream cookie and the sour aftertaste lingered for far longer. Overall, these were really good.

Setouchi Hassaku Jelly

Expires: ???

The instructions on the packaging implies that you should cut the bottom of the packet. Since the image in the booklet shows this standing up, I am assuming this is intended to drop the jelly out as a single self-supporting item. This didn't go so well for me. My scissors couldn't cut through the strongest part of the packet (where it is sealed) and as I was trying to do so the jelly leaked out of the small hole I had already managed to cut. Thankfully, I had the foresight to put a plate underneath before I started cutting but because of this I just ended up sucking the jelly out of the packet. Maybe if I had stronger scissors this would have gone better but as it is I couldn't get a photo of what the jelly inside looks like.

This snack features another fruit from Setouchi, this time the hassaku which is similar to an orange. The taste was very citrusy and very sour. The sourness is very similar to the taste you get in the back of your mouth when eating an orange, like when you get to close to the pith (the white part between the peel and the fruit). That sourness was the only flavour I could identify. So it was literally just like eating the sour part of an orange with none of the normal orange flavour. I know that makes it sound bad but I actually really enjoyed the flavour. I've never had hassaku before and I enjoyed trying it.

The texture, however, wasn't as nice. This may have been my fault for squeezing the jelly out instead of removing it from the packet correctly but it was very lumpy. Instead of the one cohesive lump expected of jelly, I was instead squeezing lots of little gelatinous lumps into my mouth which wasn't pleasant.

Another factor that may have potentially affected the jelly is the fact that it is summer at the moment here in Australia. So the gelatin may have melted in transit.

Taiyaki

Expires: 06/03/24

Just like the Baumkuchen, the taiyaki was quite wet but again this didn't seem to affect the texture or the taste at all. The outside was very moist and soft and the filling was quite sweet. These are both filled with red bean paste (anko) which is made from adzuki beans - the same bean that was used in the tea bags. The filling has quite a mushy or pasty kind of texture which was really nice with the smoothness of the coating. They were very generously filled too which was nice.

New Year's Senbei

Expires: 19/04/24

The packaging is a very eye catching red and gold with an adorable dragon perfect for celebrating the arrival of 2024 - the year of the dragon. There are two different versions of this packaging, the other one features a side view of an equally cute dragon.

The senbei was quite big and thick but since it was quite airy it was very easy to bite into. The texture was very cracker-like - just what you would expect. This senbei contains mackerel and as has been previously stated I don't like seafood but, like the noriten I loved the other flavours. The honey and soy sauce flavouring comes through really well and is very enjoyable and while I didn't particularly enjoy the mackerel, I still ate the whole cracker - which is honestly the highest praise I could give something with seafood in it.

Maneki Neko Arare

Expires: ???

There are 8 different lucky cat designs on this packaging. You get two in your Sakuraco box. The designs are very cute, showing both the front and the back of the cat and the design ties in with the New Years theme.

These are absolutely coated in flavouring. They're sticky to the touch, the moisture on the cracker is visibly obvious and the flavour of mackerel is so strong. Unsurprisingly, I wasn't a fan. The flavour hits you full force and unlike the senbei or the noriten, there are no other redeeming flavours to pair with it. If like me, you don't like fish, you will not like this. If you enjoy very strong fishy flavours then it might be perfect for you. The texture was nice and as you would expect from an arare - hard and crunchy.

Omikuji Candy

Expires: 31/12/24

Number in Packet: 7

Another lucky cat! This one has an added gimmick of fortune telling which is super fun. Each hard candy has a grape flavour on the outside and the fillings are strawberry, green apple or lemon with each foretelling a different outcome for 2024.

The first one I ate was a lemon flavoured one which which means that I would have a good day (medium fortune). The description for the green apple says eat another and try again (small fortune). There was one strawberry in the packet and it was the last one I ate. Naturally, the strawberry denotes that everything will go your way (great fortune). So according to these candies, I don't think I'm going to have a very good year :(.

The fortune telling adds another layer of interactivity and fun to this month's box which I thought was really cool. I also really enjoyed the flavours. They all have the expected artificial candy taste to them and I liked them all. My favourite was actually the grape, which was nice since I got to taste it seven times.

Neko Furoshiki

This months home good is a beautiful furoshiki - a traditional Japanese wrapping cloth, most commonly associated with wrapping bento boxes. There were two colours a red and an orange, I obviously received the red. They are both stunning and feature black and white lucky cats and pink cherry blossoms (sakura).

I was planning on displaying this somewhere where I could look at it. Unfortunately I haven't yet found a good spot to do so for now I've given it to my dog to use as a bandana in the hope it will manifest some luck for her this year, which is something she could do with some more of. As shown above, my cat disagrees with this decision.

A big part of the reason that I chose to subscribe to Sakuraco was that every box includes a homeware item. I looked back at their past boxes on their website and there has been some really gorgeous stuff in there. I really like the idea of having something tangible from the box that you can keep using and have as a reminder of the box and its theme. I really like this furoshiki and I'm excited to see what items will be in future boxes.

Matcha Cream Cookie - October 2023: Kyoto Crimson Leaves

Expires: ???

So this snack wasn't in the booklet and after digging through the contents of the past boxes on the website, I identified it as being from October's box from last year.

The matcha cream is very smooth and the bitter taste goes well with the crispy cookie, which has a similar texture to a wafer. I wasn't expecting to find this in my box but I'm glad that I did because it was very good.

Summary

Overall, I was very happy with this box. The only snacks I didn't like were things that I knew I wouldn't enjoy as they contained food that I didn't like (i.e. seafood). Even then I could still always manage to find things that I did like about them. Everything that I liked I thought was very good, there was nothing that I felt impartial about. I either didn't like it because it had seafood in it or I really loved eating it. My favourites were probably the Setouchi Lemon Mochi, Miyajima Cocoa Cookie and the Miso Peanut Tetra.

Sakuraco has done a good job of having a cohesive theme and having the items in the box match that theme. I really enjoyed looking at the snacks and their packaging that represented either New Years or Hiroshima or both. I like knowing how things fit in and how exactly they relate to the theme. The only snack in the box that I can't figure out how it relates is the Miso Peanut Tetra. There is nothing in the booklet that mentions a connection to New Years or Hiroshima Prefecture. So if there is a connection or something that I am missing I wish it was more explicitly stated even if its just a few words in the description.

One of the criticisms I have seen about Sakuraco is that the snacks in their boxes can be found anywhere. I'm not entirely sure if these complaints just mean the type of snack (i.e. mochi, senbei), similar flavours or the exact same snack from the same makers. Obviously some types of these Japanese snacks can be found in Asian grocery or convenience stores and some can even be found in your local supermarket and that's fine. It should only be a problem if a lot of the specific snacks can be found easily outside of Japan as the exclusivity is something that Sakuraco credits themselves on. I plan to test this as best I can here in Western Australia by seeing if I can find any of these exact items either in store or available to buy online. Or if not, if there is something that is very similar. I plan to have this done before my February box arrives (which shipped today - 20/02/24), however, since things have been very hectic for me lately and will continue to be so, it may not happen. At the very least I will aim to do a post on whether any of this box's items can be bought online.

In terms of whether or not it's worth the price, it's going to be up to personal opinion. For $37.50 USD you are paying for all of the snacks in the box, the homeware item, the teatime experience, the booklet that describes the theme and showcases the makers and the exclusivity of the snacks. The portions of the snacks and the box itself are quite small but if these snacks are coming from independent makers in Japan, it makes sense that they would cost more than those that you bought from a convenience store. I personally don't mind paying extra in order to support independent business owners. I also enjoyed reading the booklet and learning about this month's theme.

Another factor is the cost of shipping, which will depend on where you live. Here in Australia, the only option is Express Shipping. I am unsure if there are multiple options in other countries or just the one like here. It does make sense that the boxes would need to arrive quickly since they contain perishable goods. This may be why Sakuraco doesn't offer a cheaper (or even free) shipping option that takes longer. What ever the reason, you probably will want to go to checkout to see how much shipping will cost you before you think about buying.

As far as I'm aware, the only other company that offers the same service as Sakuraco is Bokksu. Any other Japanese food subscription boxes seem to contain more modern convenience store snacks rather than traditional snacks made by independent business owners. Unfortunately, I could not afford a subscription to both so I can't really compare the two or confidently say which one is better. However, I can say that Oshogatsu Fortunes, Bokksu's 2024 New Years box contains, 16 different snacks, while Sakuraco's has 13 (14 if you include the matcha cream cookie) plus the furoshiki. I can't really say which one is better value as that would depend on the prices of the individual items, but from watching some videos of the Bokksu box it does look like it has a larger overall quantity of snacks as a lot of the packets look bigger. However, I as I have stated previously, the Sakuraco boxes did look bigger to me prior to ordering, so my perception could be off. I would definitely recommend doing your own research as to which one is a better fit for you.

Another thing I wanted to mention is that Sakuraco has an affiliate program (I think Bokksu does as well). If you are affiliated with Sakuraco, you will get $5.00 USD every time you convince a new person to sign up using your coupon code or link. So, if a reviewer or unboxer is part of this program it is in their best interest that they convince you that Sakuraco is worth it. There was also a note in my box stating that "5 lucky reviewers" will win a prize with a QR code attached. The link gives you a choice of leaving a review at four places - Facebook, Trustpilot, Sitejabber and Reviews.io. I don't actually know what the prize is but the perception of buyers will likely be that they would only pick the winners from those who give a positive review, even though that is not explicitly stated. So again, be careful with the reviews from these sites, I would recommend looking for non-affiliated reviews that aren't on the above websites. The note also says that "Each review you leave increases your chances of winning". That's not so bad if you're leaving one review on every site but people definitely should not be encouraged to skew ratings by leaving multiple reviews.

None of this necessarily means that Sakuraco isn't worth it or is a scam, it just means you should definitely do your research before buying to make sure you will be happy with your purchase as it is a lot of money to spend. I'm happy with my first box as I enjoyed the experience and learning more about Hiroshima. I do intend to do more research pertaining to how obtainable all the snacks in this box are in Western Australia but overall I'm pretty happy.

#Sakuraco #SakuracoNewYear #Hiroshima #NewYearsInHiroshima #snack box #subscription box #Japan

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