One of the best parts of the arrival of fall is the seasonal treats, particularly when it comes to Halloween. What is your favorite Halloween candy? We always loved picking out the chocolate pieces when going trick-or-treating, and we think our all-time favorite is probably Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Though there is nothing like an old classic, we always love to try new-to-us sweet treats, especially from around the world. So, we were like kids in a candy store when we were gifted the October TokyoTreat subscription snack box, packed to the brim with Japanese sweet and savory treats with a spooky Halloween theme. TokyoTreat is like the younger funkier cousin to SakuraCo (which we reviewed in July), providing an assortment of expertly curated Japanese snacks each month for subscribers. Each month also has a theme, and if you missed one you like, you can also purchase a one-off previously-released box. The Halloween box we received can be ordered until 10/15.
The box included a helpful pamphlet describing Halloween (a foreign import) and other spooky traditions in Japan including the homegrown historical Japanese supernatural spirits known as yokai. Since the packaging for the treats is mostly in Japanese, the booklet also helps you identify all of the treats inside (including listing any common allergens). One of the highlights of this month’s TokyoTreat box was the package of the seasonal apple pie KitKats. When we visited Japan in 2024, we enjoyed trying all of the delicious unique KitKat flavors that are unavailable in the US. Some standouts included red bean, matcha, and raspberry chocolate chip. We had never tried the apple pie flavor, and it tasted uncannily like the real thing! Each TokyoTreat box features a new KitKat flavor, and we look forward to seeing what we get in the future. Past KitKat flavors have included Mont Blanc and strawberry chocolate.
The treats are sourced from throughout Japan, and some were specifically Halloween themed. Of note, we had tried none of the Japanese snacks and candies before! Some of our favorite sweet treats from this month’s assortment included a tiny custard-filled sponge cake and a “chocolate baton” wafer with a meringue-like texture. Though not particularly spooky, we were also fans of the blueberry cheesecake bites, which were airy, flaky and not too sweet. Though there were only small samples of some of the treats, others were large enough to share (which definitely made M happy).
We do appreciate the inclusion of both savory and sweet treats in each TokyoTreat subscription box, since especially with the candy-forward Halloween theme, savory could have easily been overlooked. Of the savory treats, one of our favorites was the garlic and chili senbei rice crackers, which had a delightful crispy texture and satisfying amount of heat. Buttery animal crackers toed the line between savory and sweet, and we got a kick out of how each abstract animal was helpfully labeled. The box even included a spicy ramen pack that we are going to squirrel away for later. These were only a few of the snacks and treats in the box, but we don’t want to give every surprise away.
The Halloween TokyoTreat box is a great way to get into the spirit for Spooky Season. We really enjoyed the assortment of treats provided, and the diversity of unique flavors. If you are trying to decide between a TokyoTreat box and a SakuraCo box, you can’t really go wrong, though they are quite different. SakuraCo is more focused on featuring specific artisanal makers, and the TokyoTreat box is geared toward more fun, pop culture packaging, and off-the-wall flavors. So why not try both? You can try a single month, or a longer subscription (3, 6, or 12 months), or can give either option as a gift. Especially with the winter holidays around the corner, we look forward to seeing what treats are in store for next season!
Our friend Jose from NYC has a second home in 
Eating The World 