Your basket is empty.
Check out our most loved:
Your basket is empty.
Check out our most loved:
Our new Summer Subscription Box is a love letter to Japan — written in scent, salt, smoke, and sweetness. Inside, you’ll find ten surprises, each made with ingredients from some of the country’s most talented farmers and purveyors. Every item inside was chosen by hand, sourced from farmers, makers, and friends across the country. From the mountains of Kyushu to the kitchens of Kyoto, each contributor brings their own oishii, umami, umeboshi, and quiet magic.
Summer 2025
They call it Oni Karashi — Demon Mustard — for a reason. Yamasei’s Organic Karashi hits fast and hot, with a nose-clearing burn that doesn’t ask permission. No vinegar, no sweetness, just pure, fiery intensity honed by Japanese masters.
The Citrus Assassin. Sourced from a fierce, all-female collective in the Southern Japanese Alps, this electric powder is made from Yuzu peel and juice dried low and slow to lock in shockingly pure citrus oil.
This isn’t Obaachan’s (grandma’s) furikake. It’s a crunchy, fiery, umami-packed blast straight from the back alleys of Nishiki Market. Golden-roasted Sesame seeds, Scallions dried for peak crunch, crimson Takanotsume Chile, crackling Rayu oil crunch, earthy Shiitake, and wild Sanshō Pepper — layered to deliver maximum flavor chaos.
In Okinawa, Kokuto — or “Black Sugar” — is both a sacred treat and a piece of heritage. Ours is made by Nakasone Kokuto, using fresh Sugarcane juice boiled for over five hours into a dark, velvety syrup with notes of licorice, caramel, and toffee. Blended with toasted sesame, it becomes a creamy, nutty paste black as night, with just a hint of spice.
Chinsuko cookies are the princess of Okinawa, dating back to the days of the Ryukyu Kingdom. This delicious, crumbly cookie was made by Nanpudo, who took the traditional recipe and gave it a twist: adding Yukishio, or “snow salt,” from Miyakojima Island. A fine, powdery salt from the pristine seawater of Okinawa, it has a mellow sweetness and rich umami flavor — giving the cookies just the right balance of savory and sweet. Made fresh just for us.
This creamy, nutty chocolate starts with pinnacle-grade Hukuju Matcha — shade-grown and stone-milled by the Yamaguchi family in the misty hills of Hoshinomura, and sourced by husband-and-wife tea experts at Kettl. It’s then blended into a silky bar of Belgian white chocolate and finished with a crunch of Nagano Soba Cha, or roasted Buckwheat.
Kurogorō — a traditional family Ryokan in Okinawa — began making Yuzu Kosho and serving it to their guests. They made it with local Yuzu, green Chili Peppers, and premium Okinawan Sea Salt. It quickly became famous, and we were lucky to get our hands on a batch. We splashed it over some organic Mangos, added some Shikuwasa Lime Juice and slowly dried to the chewiest perfection.
From the emerald hills of Okinawa comes a centuries-old ritual of protection and renewal. Known locally as gettou (さんにん), Shell Ginger has long been revered in Japan for its aromatic leaves and calming properties. We’ve tucked them into muslin sachets, blended with a touch of Ginger essential oil. Steep it in the bath like a tea bag and let the scent rise — clean, herbaceous, and quietly grounding. A healing steam for body and spirit.
A bar inspired by the mineral-rich hot springs of Japan. Infused with Japanese Momi Fir, crisp Yuzu, earthy Vetiver, and a whisper of Pink Peppercorn, this soap is sharp, green, and quietly electrifying — like stepping into a forest bath at dawn. The scent lingers gently on the skin, clearing the mind and awakening the senses.
Inspired by the Japanese art of quiet empathy, this candle channels the spirit of omoiyari — thoughtful care without a word. Grounded notes of Momi Fir, Bay Leaf, and Oakmoss create a scent that’s clean, balanced, and quietly complex. The fragrance of unspoken grace.
The idea for our Japanese Subscription Box actually started with my great friend Kate. We met for dinner, and she had just returned from Okinawa — an archipelago in the southwest of Japan.
The farming culture in Okinawa is a beautiful and deeply significant part of its identity, guided by the belief that food is medicine. Kate was in Okinawa working with farmers for a project. It was then that we decided that our Summer Subscription Box should be devoted entirely to Okinawa. And with the help of Kate, we started to explore.
As the months went on, Kate kept finding different growers harvesting wonderful ingredients. But when we told farmers how much volume we needed, the whole thing fell apart.
They could not work with us because our volumes were too high, and reminded me of something I had always said (and maybe forgotten): that scale is the enemy of intimacy, and their relationship with the land needed to remain intimate.
It made my heart melt to see such respect for the land. And so we lowered the number of boxes available, and also slowly broadened our search outside Okinawa until we found ten things to sum up the best scents and flavors of Japan right now.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you to the many people whose hands have shaped our Japan Box. It’s a bento box of stories, flavors, scents, and lessons for us all.
x Richard
A remarkable women-run collective in Kawane Honcho is leading a Yuzu renaissance, all to save their small town from disappearing. This Yuzu Salt is now included in our Japan Subscription Box, along with nine other rare treasures from farmers & makers in Japan.
High in the Southern Japanese Alps, within the Minami-Alps Eco Park, lies Kawane Honcho: a remote mountain town fed by the pristine, snow-melt waters of the Ōi River. It’s known for producing Kawane Teas and the most remarkable Yuzu, all due to a powerful combination of mineral-rich soil,
abundant rainfall, and dramatic temperature shifts between sun-drenched days and cool alpine nights. Despite its natural abundance, the town is at risk of disappearing.
Declining birthrates and an aging population only means that the ancient traditions have a lack of successors and that every year, there’s more abandoned farmland. This is where Kawane Sense comes in. A remarkable women-led collective bringing life, business, and financial opportunity back to its town — all through the power of Yuzu.
When its president, Tomoko Hamatani, tried this Yuzu Ponzu made by the local farmers for the first time, she was blown away. The farmers were too busy farming to promote it, so along with the collective, they decided to help them sell it. That way, they could expand the distribution of Kawane Honcho Yuzu, guarantee the livelihood of their farmers, and encourage young people to carry on the family farm and protect the traditions that have been passed down since ancient times.
Tea fields on the mountain slopes are the first to be abandoned, which are the most labor-intensive. By cultivating Yuzu on these lands, Kawane Sense is bringing life back to the soil. Then, the farmers tend their groves without pesticides.
The pristine location makes the peel grow thick with essential oils, developing a bright, floral, almost electric juice that is the hallmark of Kawane Honcho Yuzu. The Yuzu peel and juice are then dried using low-temperature vacuum technology, a process that locks in the fruit’s volatile oils and explosive fragrance without bitterness.
The fruit is then ground into a wildly aromatic and bright powder with zero bitterness, mixed in-house with our Big Sur Sea Salt. The result is an explosive finishing salt that balances the floral, grapefruit-like notes of alpine Yuzu with a clean, crystalline salinity. Use it to cut through the richness of crispy karaage, ignite sizzling yakitori skewers, or transform a simple onigiri.
Including this Yuzu in our Subscription Box supports Kawane Sense’s mission to protect the future of Kawane Honcho.
I look forward to each seasonal subscription box. Japan is amazing.
Where do I start? The Yuzu Salt, divine! The shortbread cookies and spread a little Sesame Jam on top, whoa! Matcha Chocolate, incredible! And as always, the Soap and Candle in this set need to be available year-round. Worth every cent!
Got to try a bunch of things I would never had otherwise! Loved this box in particular
I look forward to this for weeks. It makes me so happy. Best thing I ever subscribed to.
This box came at the perfect time to provide a direct line to the Hawaiian islands when my family needed it most. I love the candle and soap scent, and the variety of items is perfect
I look forward to the seasonal subscription box and always find new favorites - in this one the beautiful Island Thyme candle scent, dark chocolate macadamias, and raw honey were some of the top hits. Such a treat!