Japan fans around the world: rejoice! The DokiDoki Crate is a monthly box of carefully chosen items from the heart of Nippon, bringing you access to a versatile range of curated treats to satisfy those otaku urges.
As one of the internet’s current favorite subscription crates, those who love all things anime, manga and other Japanese culture are sure to have seen influencers and fellow superfans raving about them.
When you decide to subscribe, adorable plushies, cool apparel, cute fashion accessories and more are sent directly to your door every four weeks.
Brands featured on a regular basis include the likes of Sailor Moon, Hello Kitty, Rilakkuma, Pokemon, Pompompurin and more of everyone’s favorite adorable characters.
Today we’ll be taking a look at exactly what manufacturers Japan Crate are offering new and returning customers, having analysed countless customer feedback to give you the lowdown on whether or not this is worth investing your money in.
We were not paid by Japan Crate to write this review or offered any sort of compensation in exchange for doing so!
What’s In The Box?
Quality Japanese products can be difficult to come by, with plenty of fake imitations of merchandise on the market. Rest assured that everything you would receive in your DokiDoki crate is 100% licenced and certified, from official providers.
As such, it’s a steep monthly subscription cost in the eyes of many: $22.95 for the mini box with five items, $35.95 for a ten item original box and $49.95 for the premium subscription, which brings you a whopping 18-20 items.
On the other hand, whichever one you go for, Japan Crate offers free worldwide shipping on every order, so you don’t have to worry about covering that.
One way to make a decision on whether subscribing is right for you is to check out the Past Crates section of the website, where you will find all of the previous crates that have been sent out. This should help you work out if you would actually like or benefit from collecting the goodies, or if they’d just end up as expensive clutter.
Super kawaii items from previous crates include: Chibi Totoro Plushies, Sparkling Strawberry Wine flavored Kit Kats, Sushi Socks, Rilakkuma Stationary and a Bento Food Cup.
Past box themes include Back In Business, Kawaii Self Care, Sweet Summer Essentials, Soft and Sweet Valentine, Couch Potato Cozy Critters… and that’s just a few of the versatile and highly addictive collectible themes available for you to explore.
If you like the sound of all of those, it could be worth giving the service a go!
Rewards/Bonuses/Gifts
If you enter your email on the JapanCrate website and subscribe to their mailing list, you will receive notifications for giveaways, contests and other promotions - this could just net you some sweet merch for free!
Each subscriber to DokiDoki crate is also entered into a monthly sweepstake to win a Suteki crate: a giant reward chock full of prizes, from purses, cames consoles, make up, deluxe figurines, blankets, even giant plushies. Unfortunately, your chance of winning is pretty slim, but the fact that you’re even in the running is pretty sweet.
You can also give the gift of a DokiDoki crate to a loved one instead of subscribing, and if you choose to prepay for three, six or twelve months in advance, you’ll also save some money at the same time.
Those just starting a subscription with DokiDoki can also use the code HELLO at checkout and save $3 on their first order only, or use the code LUCKYDD to receive an Otoshidama envelope which contains a FREE bonus item inside your free crate.
Customer Feedback: Is DokiDoki Crate Worth It?
According to TrustPilot, yes! At the time of writing (July 2021) they have an Excellent rating on Trustpilot, with an average score of 4.4 stars. 74% of customers voted the service Excellent, whilst 14% went for Great - this accounts for 88% of the vote, so of over 2000 people, you can trust that most of them said DokiDoki was worth it for them.
Most reviews we read seemed to agree that every month, each box is full of happily received surprises. Shipping is, for the most part, pretty swift no matter where you live - even coming all the way from Japan!
Each box comes with a full color booklet with pictures and thorough descriptions for each item the crate contains, which also makes a cute little collectible and is great for those who also like to scrapbook.
Content wise, most folk seem pretty happy with the versatility of each month’s crate - every single one having a different theme to suit a holiday in that month or promote a certain popular character. Plushies, keyrings, homeware and even beauty products are just a subscription away, all authentic and imported direct.
Everything arrives in pretty packaging, wrapped in colored tissue paper and neatly organized for that all important Instagram shot - it looks beautiful, in spite of how far it has had to travel. Just look at their Community feed, which showcases all of their favorite customer photos.
It is important to note, though, that just because other people like something, doesn’t mean you will. Sometimes, the only way to know for sure is to give things a try!
In Conclusion - Should You Get A DokiDoki Crate?
So, it’s time to answer the all important question. With all you now know about the service, is it worth handing over a not-insignificant amount of money every month to get a number of surprises, depending on how much you can afford.
We feel that those who love kawaii Japanese culture and Harajuku style with the money to work a DokiDoki crate into their budget will probably be happy with their monthly investment, but if you’re not really a random collectibles kind of person, you might want to consider checking out a more specific subscription from Japan Crate’s line instead.
