Founder Hank Rao Website www.japancrate.com Headquarters San Francisco | Area served Worldwide Founded September 2014 Type of business Private | |
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Industry Consumer packaged goods Products Mini Crate, Original Crate, Premium Crate, Doki Doki Crate, Umai Crate Profiles | ||
Japanese candy taste test japan crate snack box surprise
Japan Crate is a San Francisco-based online monthly subscription service that sends its subscribers a crate of Japanese candy, snacks and drinks on a monthly basis to share the experience of visiting Japan.
Contents
- Japanese candy taste test japan crate snack box surprise
- We ate fake meat more japanese snacks from japan crate
- History
- Crates
- Exclusive Plushies
- Partnerships Sponsorships
- Media
- Past Licensing Issues
- References
In November 2015 Japan Crate added a second crate to share the love of kawaii culture known as Doki Doki Crate. It includes licensed merchandise including plushes, figures, collectibles and more.
We ate fake meat more japanese snacks from japan crate
History
Japan Crate was founded by Hank Rao of San Francisco after traveling to Japan. According to the company's About Us page, Rao (a fan of Japanese culture) was so overwhelmed by the colors and energy of Tokyo that he wanted to share it with the world. Japanese candy packaging shares similar imagery to Tokyo's famous neon signs, so he began packaging surprise crates of candy and sending them across the world.
Crates
Japan Crate - ($12~30) a monthly subscription of surprise candy and snacks from Japan. Candies range from exclusive Kit Kat flavors, to Do-It-Yourself Sushi Candy kits. Crate sizes include Premium, Original and Mini.
Doki Doki Crate - a monthly subscription for kawaii (Japanese cute culture) toys, collectibles, figures and more. Recently Japan Crate secured partnerships with big name brands to include fully licensed merchandise.
Umai Crate - a monthly subscription of various Japanese instant noodles, like udon, ramen, soba, etc.
Kira Kira crate - a selection of trending Japanese beauty products.
Exclusive Plushies
Japan Crate included its first ever in-house, exclusive Doki Doki branded plushie in May's Doki Doki Crate. The plushies are designed by Japan Crate's creative team and manufactured in partnership with the Japanese company Sun Hoseki.
Partnerships & Sponsorships
Crunchyroll - Japan Crate has worked with Crunchyroll on multiple occasions for partnerships, collaborations and more.
Clutter Magazine
Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival
Media
Past Licensing Issues
In November 2015, Japan Crate launched a new crate to spread the love of kawaii (cute) culture. After the first crates shipped, complaints arose around the legitimacy of licensing for the characters included in the crates. Good Smile Company, a popular figure manufacturer, was one of the many to question the items.
Japan Crate issued a public statement addressing the possibility of unlicensed merchandise being sent due to issues with their supplier. The company stated, "We’re so sorry that these items made their way into our crates, as that was never our intention. All items we ordered were stated to be licensed for US distribution, and the samples & photos we received ended up being much different than the actual product that was delivered." Alongside an offer to return your crate if you were unhappy.
Doki Doki Crate has been free of unlicensed items since March 2015 when Japan Crate announced their new partnerships.