Subscription boxes have been all the rage in the last few years. You’ve certainly heard of Kira Kira Box or Japan Crate, who deliver Japanese beauty products and sweets to the world. Now there’s Kokoro Care Packages, a subscription box that sends premium Japanese food to customers living outside of Japan.

The freshness of ingredients and the attention to detail during meal preparation are at the heart of authentic Japanese cuisine. This culinary version of Japanese craftsmanship is near impossible to find in grocery stores abroad. Even Asian grocery stores in other countries are more likely to stock junk food like instant ramen cups and processed snacks rather than real Japanese food.

After LA-based Lillian Rowlatt and Tokyo-based Aki Sugiyama met through a mutual friend, they bonded over their love of health and fitness as well as a desire to share healthy Japanese ingredients and snacks with the world. Together, they came up with the idea for Kokoro Care Packages.

After a successful crowdfunding campaign in October 2018, gathering over four times the amount of their initial target, Kokoro Care Packages has launched as the newest and freshest Japanese subscription box. This box brings you some of the best Japanese ingredients in the form of spices, tea, soup, small snacks and more. To source the products, Sugiyama connects personally with Japanese producers, which means customers are promised high-quality products free of additives and preservatives.

In addition to considering the health benefits of each item, Rowlatt and Sugiyama also pay attention to how easy each product is to use and incorporate into your daily cooking routine. Some products will also include a recipe that customers can access via a web link, great for any amateurs chefs out there.

Catering to an international market requires some kind of lingua franca. So each product comes with an English translation of ingredients and nutritional value (if originally indicated on the Japanese packaging). Though they don’t offer vegetarian or vegan boxes (yet), products that are gluten-free and dairy-free are labelled as such.

So how do you sign up?

Currently, Kokoro Care Packages offers two different kinds of subscription boxes, a monthly and a seasonal box, and delivers to over 30 countries worldwide (note that they do not deliver within Japan). The monthly option is priced at 55$USD and includes at least five or six products, while the seasonal or quarterly option is priced at 95$USD, and includes at least seven products and one artisanal gift. In most cases, prices include shipping and handling.

For more information on how to get your hands on a box for a loved one (or yourself!), visit kokorocares.com


WIN! [Update] This giveaway is now closed.

We’re giving away three Kokoro Care Packages to TW readers who live outside of Japan

TW has teamed up with the Kokoro Care Packages team to gift three fans of healthy, Japanese goods a box of their own. Winners will receive the April nourishing care package, full of pink, cherry-blossom inspired treats.

There are three ways to enter:

1) Like Tokyo Weekender on Facebook and comment on our latest post.
2) Follow us on Twitter, participate in our latest poll and share a picture of your favorite healthy Japanese snack. Don’t forget to mention @tokyo_weekender and @kokorocares
3) Follow @tokyoweekender and kokorocares on Instagram, and share your favorite healthy Japanese snack with the hashtag #TWxKokoro

Who can enter? 

Kokoro Care Packages only ships to customers living outside of Japan. But if you live in Japan and want to send your overseas-based family or friends a box to try out, then feel free to participate.