Snack Box Showdown: Sakuraco vs. Bokksu - Which One is Better?
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If you’ve ever used the Internet before, you probably know that Japan has some weird food, particularly strange snack foods with odd flavor combinations that are sold at convenience stores. Japanophiles and those curious about the fun, cute, and just plan crazy treats available over here can subscribe to a Japanese snack box service, where every month, recipients get a box full of Japanese treats that you’re not likely to find in America.
There are a number of these subscription box services, and we’ve tried several of them. One of the most popular is Bokksu, which we sent to some friends and relatives a few years back as a gift. Recently, we reviewed Sakuraco, which is a more artisan-centric box and got high marks from us compared to other boxes we’ve tried.
Since Bokksu is one of the most popular brands and Sakuraco is a unique up-and-comer, let’s dive into what makes these boxes different so you can decide which one would be best for you, whether you’re trying just one box, signing up for a monthly subscription, or sending a fun gift to the adventurous eaters in your life.
Boxes and themes: how Sakuraco and Bokksu are different
According to Bokksu’s website, they support family-owned businesses and source snacks from artisan makers in Japan. Each box has a theme, with some of the 2024 themes being “Night Out in Osaka,” “Cherry Blossom Nights,” and “Summer in Okinawa.” While these are good themes for people who don’t know much about Japan, those who have lived here or visited Japan probably already know about those places.
The Bokksu website lists the snacks that were sent in each box, but it’s a bit confusing - for each month, they list 16 snacks. But the front page of their website says “20+ Japan-exclusive snacks each month.” I’m not sure if there’s snacks they don’t list, or if some of them or doubles, or if the website is just inaccurate. Bokksu also includes a booklet with the box that tells you a little bit about the snacks.
Sakuraco also supports family-run artisan businesses, but prioritizes the promotion of Japanese culture and tradition. The booklet they include is quite impressive - it includes not only full descriptions of each snack along with allergy information, but also interesting facts and stories about the region and events that make up the monthly themes. Some of Sakuraco’s recent themes include “Colors of Kyoto,” which we received this month, “Flavors of Hakone,” an area many foreigners might not know about, and “Festivals of Tohoku,” which taught us things even we (a Japanese woman and a guy who lives in Tokyo) didn’t know about Tohoku’s festival culture. The “Colors of Kyoto” booklet contained not only information about Kyoto’s historical sites, but Japanese folklore and profiles of some of the box’s artisan makers.
Sakuraco’s website has pages for each box that include pictures and descriptions of each item, along with video and text explaining the theme. Most importantly, Sakuraco’s website includes a description of this month’s box, meaning the one you’ll get if you order right now, “Colors of Kyoto.” In contrast, Bokksu’s website stops at August 2024, “Fireworks Matsuri,” with little explanation of what this theme entails. If you order from Bokksu right now, you don’t know what you’ll get in your first box, which is pretty normal for most subscription boxes, making Sakuraco different in the Japan box game.
The edge: Sakuraco.
The snacks you’ll find in Sakuraco and Bokksu
Just like the last box we received, the October box from Sakuraco contained some really delicious items, including:
Soba Boro - a big bag of light cookies that tasted like a smokier animal cracker. I love animal crackers (sold without the animal shapes at Family Mart as “plain bisketto”), and this was just what I wanted it to be. They didn’t last long.
Osodefuri Soybean Okaki - a traditional “senbei” rice cracker, I expected this to be rather stiff, but it was beautifully puffy and salty.
Matcha Chocolate Crunch - sort of like a tiny matcha-flavored Black Thunder, and there were two of them so we didn’t have to share!
Nikki Yatsuhashi - these surprisingly thick shingle-shaped cookies were flavored like cinnamon bears, but without the annoying bits getting stuck in your teeth. They were sweet but not too sweet, with a flavor you do not see in Japan very often.
Those were a few of my favorites, but there were plenty more treats, and best of all, the box was completely different from the one we got before, both in the treats available and in the general flavor profile and vibe. One worry about a subscription box is that it will contain a lot of stuff you don’t want or be basically the same thing every month with a bunch of filler, but we ate every single thing in this box and would totally try another.
There are two major types of Japanese snacks, or okashi - dagashi, which are the type of brightly-colored sugary sweets with children's cartoon characters on them, and wagashi, traditional snacks like dorayaki (pancake sandwiches), mochi, and anko (red bean paste). What makes Sakuraco such a good value is its focus on wagashi, which can be more expensive and higher-end than dagashi. You won't find a bunch of cheap bubblegum-flavored sticks in Sakuraco’s boxes. Instead, you're able to learn about the traditional okashi of Japan with some region-specific flavors thrown in. While other boxes that contain more dagashi might be a good choice for little kids because of their cuteness, adults like us vastly prefer the wagashi of Sakuraco.
The recent Bokksu offerings also have themes, but their treats are a little more on the sweet side. They offer flavors like kinako and treats like castella that will let you know what Japanese people eat, but they also include things like Ginza Rusk and chocolate banana chips, which I’ve certainly had before and can probably be found at grocery stores or konbini. Bokksu has a lot of region-specific flavors, but not as many as Sakuraco.
Overall, Bokksu has some sweet stuff, but that’s mostly what you get - sugar, along with a few salty things. Both boxes avoid the type of oddball blue-and-pink stuff that many boxes contain, but Sakuraco’s treats feel a little less processed, a little lighter, a little less artificial, and though they certainly contain sugar and carbs, felt a bit healthier.
The edge: Sakuraco.
Extras and home goods: what sets Sakuraco apart
There’s one thing Sakuraco has that other snack boxes don’t include, which is Japanese home goods. The first box we tried included a Japanese furoshiki (wrapping cloth, like a light towel), and this second one had a beautiful teacup that we could enjoy along with the tea that was included in the box. Past boxes have included ceramics, chopsticks and chopstick rests, and other items you might find in a Japanese home that will make a fun addition to your own kitchen. These items are truly special, look great, and exude quality. I was really excited to get the teacup because it is beautiful and much fancier than the cup I normally drink tea out of.
In addition to home goods, Sakuraco has nice little touches like a postcard with a message from the owner in each box. You get the sense that this is a small company that cares about the subscriber experience and takes the time to make each box special. For me, the home goods and the dedication to the themes are the two things that make Sakuraco our favorite out of at the boxes we’ve tried.
The edge: Sakuraco.
Price, ordering, and shipping
Until recently, Sakuraco was much cheaper than Bokksu. That changed when Bokksu lowered its prices, making it a closer call, depending on where you live and how long of a commitment you wish to make. If you’re subscribing for 12 months, Bokksu is now a couple dollars cheaper than Sakuraco before shipping. But if you just want to try a single box, Sakuraco is only $37.50 for one month, making it not only cheaper than Bokksu, but the cheapest single-box option among the major subscription boxes that we looked at.
While Bokksu offers a one-month subscription price of $39.99, this requires signing up for automatic billing that you will need to cancel. To give a one-time gift, it will cost you $49.99. You’ll also have to pay for shipping, making a box sent to the U.S. $59.98. That’s expensive, but pretty much par for the course when it comes to these Japan boxes.
As of now, Sakuraco does not offer a single-box gift option, meaning the lowest-priced gift you can give is a 3-month subscription for $106.50. I don’t know why they don’t offer a single-box gift, because if they did, it would be the clear winner. As is, many people may decide not to gift Sakuraco simply because they don’t want to send someone three boxes. That’s understandable - that was my reaction at first too - but the more I think about it, the more I’m leaning toward Sakuraco’s three-month subscription as a better gift. Since other services cost $60 or more for a single gift box, you’re getting more for your money with a three-month Sakuraco gift, along with higher-quality treats and faster shipping.
Bokksu seems only to have one shipping option, and the time it takes to arrive (and the price) may vary based on where you live. With Sakuraco, you can send via express shipping, meaning your boxes will arrive in 2-14 days, regardless of location. If you’re running a little late with your Mother’s Day gift, this can be really convenient.
It’s undeniable that Bokksu has the cheapest gift option, but you’re not giving a lot for what you’re paying - for around twice the price, you can give three times as many Sakuraco boxes that we think are of better quality. Not everyone appreciates Japan enough to warrant a three-month gift subscription, but for those in your life who like Japan and high-end treats, Sakuraco would be a far superior gesture. If you’re ordering for kids or an occasion where three boxes would be awkward, Bokksu might be better, but you could also look at other boxes that are more kid-friendly or companies that sell specific collections rather than curated boxes. As for choosing one box to subscribe to yourself, Sakuraco clearly has the edge.
The most important thing that sets Sakuraco apart is that you know what you’re going to get in your box. Other brands don’t list what’s in the box before it goes out, so you have no way of knowing what will be in it, and we can’t recommend a specific box to you. But with Sakuraco, if you order by October 15th, 2024, you can get the exact box you see in this post, “Colors of Kyoto,” which we highly recommend.
Sakuraco or Bokksu: which one would we choose?
We’ve now had two Sakuraco boxes, and loved them both. There’s always a great variety of things I like, things Eriko likes, things we both like, and fancy home goods. Everything is so professionally done, with elements like the booklet really showing how the team goes the extra mile.
Best of all, Sakuraco contains items we haven’t seen before, even as people who obsess over snacks - we’ve literally only ever seen one item from a Sakuraco box at the konbini (and we bought it because it’s delicious!). These aren’t big name-brand snacks, but unique small-scale goods with their own twist on traditional flavors. You can taste the difference between Sakuraco and other boxes.
To subscribe to Sakuraco, click on our affiliate link below and check out their latest box. I just counted, and we’ve tried seven different Japanese box services (including ones we’ve tried ourselves and ones we’ve sent as gifts), and Sakuraco is our favorite. Give them a try. They get our stamp of approval.
