An All-New TokyoTreat: Message from Founder Ayumi Chikamoto

Hi there, I’m Ayumi, CEO and founder of TokyoTreat and her sister brands; YumeTwins, nomakenolife, Sakuraco, JapanHaul and TokyoCatch. Let me start by saying a very big thank you to everyone taking the time to read this message. Whether you’re a TokyoTreat subscriber, part of our community, or a first time visitor, we’re extremely grateful for your support.

In 2015, I started packing boxes of Japanese snacks to send all over the world. I was inspired by the requests I received from my friends overseas when I would send them care packages. From that point on it has been my mission to connect people who want to enjoy a little piece of Japan with cool and crazy snacks that I feel truly represent modern Japan. 

My mission was clear. Starting on my living room floor, I hand picked and packed snack boxes every month, slowly growing my team of Japanese snack experts at the same time. Now, every month we select our top picks for seasonal and limited-edition snacks, like Japanese KitKats, Pocky and Japanese soda and ramune. And every month we share it with our fantastic TokyoTreat subscribers without fail.

All of our success over the past 6 years would not have been possible without the support of the TokyoTreat community. Earlier this year, we also had the opportunity to talk directly with some of our loyal subscribers. And through that experience and the inspiration we received, our next big project was born. On Dec 1st, 2021 the brand new TokyoTreat will be launching, just in time for the new year!

The All-New TokyoTreat

So what does all of this entail, you might wonder? Taking a look around at the TokyoTreat website or unboxing your new TokyoTreat box you’ll notice a wide range of changes, from the design to the snacks you recieve.

Never worry however, the fan favorites in our TokyoTreat boxes will be coming to you every month, including Japanese KitKat, Japanese soda and soft drinks and limited-edition treats such as sakura pocky. But here are some of our favorite changes:

We’re Getting Bigger – 20% Bigger!

We’re leveling up how much comes your way. TokyoTreat now weighs 1,300g (2.86lbs) of 15-20 snacks, 20% heavier than before (1,100g). This weight increase comes from the increase in quality and variety of the snacks you recieve. It also makes us the heaviest Japanese snack box on the planet!

 Ramen, Udon & Soba – Oodles of Instant Noodles

We know that many of our TokyoTreat subscribers live far from a supply of Japanese instant noodles. And other people simply can’t get enough Japanese ramen! We‘re excited to provide you with Japanese noodles every month. Look forward to expanding your noodle horizons with new ramen, udon and soba.

Japanese Bread, Melonpan and Baked Goods

Japanese bread is a staple of modern life here in Tokyo. Found in Japanese convenience stores (or Konbini) and bakeries, bread like melonpan (melon bread) is a major part of the Japanese snacking experience. We’ll be including a taste of this in TokyoTreat every month, including Taiyaki, Korone and more.

Jelly, Purin and Japanese Desserts

We love Japanese candy and all things to satisfy sweet tooth cravings. We’re branching out and offering all new kinds of sweets, from Japanese jelly to sweet puddings. Explore the new side of Japanese sweets with us.

Learn with our 24 Page Culture Guide

We’re not only improving your snack experience, but we’re also boosting your cultural experience too! We added extra pages into the TokyoTreat booklet to provide extra space for more articles and cultural info to enrich your Japanese snacking experience.

Full Allergen Information

My team and I are always striving to improve TokyoTreat to make sure you get the best experience possible. From now on, making sure our family can snack with peace of mind is part of that effort. In every Snack and Culture guide from December 1st 2022, you’ll find a list of the common allergens for the snacks in your box. We hope that you can continue to enjoy your Japanese snack box safely and happily.

An Important Update

To make all these new changes, we’ll be updating our pricing starting on Dec 1st, 2021. Depending on your plan, the price of your box will only increase $1 – $2.5 per month. To see our full list of pricing or if you have any questions, please see our FAQ:

New Subscribers: You can enjoy your new box at the new price point immediately.

Current Monthly Subscribers: Your plan will be upgraded to the new pricing from Dec 1st, 2021.

Current 3, 6 or 12 Month Subscribers: The price of your plan won’t update until your plan renews!

We’ll also be removing our Classic plan. We felt that we wanted to ensure all TokyoTreat subscribers received the full Japanese snacking experience, and that it was best done by creating one, unified experience. For the full details, please check our FAQ.

Giving Back to our AMAZING Community

It’s no secret that the last 2 years have been a tough time for people all over the world. We here at TokyoTreat were also impacted by COVID-19, with many international shipping issues arising on an almost daily basis during the Spring of 2020. At times it really felt as if overcoming them was impossible. As a small company, even the smallest unexpected change can impact every layer of the business. 

But it was thanks to the support of our ever understanding community that we were able to survive and thrive. During the times of confusion, the ever understanding and patient community stood by us while we figured out our next steps. The emotional support was also very appreciated. Every kind comment, social media post or forum post was a great source of motivation for us. We got through it together, and for that I’ll be eternally grateful. 

But through the struggle, we came out stronger and ready to send Japanese snacks to the entire world.

Another major source of inspiration for our decision to upgrade TokyoTreat came from looking at our past service and seeing ways for us to improve our back office and warehouse operations. From optimizing the box design and how we operate, we were able to make better use of our resources and pass the savings on to you!

Moving into the Future of Snacking!

For both our fantastic long-time subscribers and our newer subscribers, it’s my goal to always surprise, educate and provide new experiences through this whole new Japanese snacking experience. I can’t wait to hear what everyone has to say!

We also look forward to hearing your thoughts on the new snacks coming your way! Please get in touch with us via social media or our community forum. I’m also looking forward to seeing everyone’s entries to TokyoTreat’s monthly photo competition.

And of course, if you ever have any questions, please check our FAQ or reach out to our customer service team via the Customer Portal and they will be more than happy to assist you.

Thank you once again for all you support up until this point, and we look forward to snacking with you again in the future! 今後もよろしくお願いいたします！

Love

Ayumi Chikamoto, Founder and CEO of TokyoTreat