Japan Crate offers various subscription boxes to pick from, including the new Inku Crate for Japanese stationery and kawaii journaling supplies. They kindly sent me one to review, which was great as I really enjoy using cute stationery!
To be honest I had forgotten all about the Inku Crate being mailed, so it was a nice surprise when the postman rang my doorbell. I had a good time unwrapping everything. The crate comes with a 6 page full colour leaflet, with a detailed description of the items. It also includes a contest on social media that you can join.
The stationery arrived in a very good condition, thanks to the sturdy box. They are all original/official items that you can find in Japanese shops. I received the May 2020 Inku Crate with a selection of 7 items, so let’s find out what goodies were included.
Japanese Flake Stickers
The included stickers by Amifa show traditional Japanese imagery. I think they might represent Japanese folktales, which I’m currently reading about. The stickers are made of washi paper, making them semi-transparent. I’ll surely use them for a Japanese inspired spread in my journal.
Washi Stickers & Mt. Fuji Memo with Clips
The Inku Crate also included budgie/parakeet stickers from Amifa! They are printed on more traditional, textured washi paper. I was also very happy to find this sticky memo pad and clips shaped like the Fuji mountain. Who doesn’t love Mount Fuji?
Hello Kitty Pen
This Hello Kitty pen from Sanrio was the only item that I would not have bought myself, as the barrel is a bit too big for my hands. I do like the more traditional print on it.
Clothes Pin Ribbon Washi Tape
I’m pretty sure that the included washi tape from Clothes Pin has been illustrated by Miki Takei. Andi and I are both fans of her work, and we noticed that not many shops sell her stationery, so I was glad that Inku included this washi tape in their crate. There were about 6 different pastel designs you could receive, and I got the yellow one with super cute pigs and chickens on it.
Sticker Book from Crux
The next item is probably my favorite one of the whole crate. First of all it contains the Keshikko characters from Japanese stationery brand Crux. Basically these are erasers which turned into cute animals ^_^. Secondly the cover has got subtle sparkles on it.
And last but not least, this is a sticker book which lets you store stickers and pieces of washi tape! The pages are from the same material as sticker sheets, allowing stickers to easily peel off. This book is also great to bring a selection of stickers with you for journaling on the go.
Cute Japanese Dog Letter Set
These fashionable dogs make a lovely letter-set. When you fold up the letter in half, the dog’s head pops out a bit, so cute. It comes with 4 stickers that you could use to close the envelope. You could even send a small gift along with this letter.
Summary
I was very pleased with the contents of this Inku Crate. All the items are from official Japanese stationery brands. Amifa is a brand that you can buy in physical Japanese shops. It can be a bit difficult to find this brand at online shops, so I’m happy that it was included. Same goes for the Miki Takei washi tape. I also liked the variety of items, ranging from stickers to a letter set. The only item that I would not have purchased myself was the Hello Kitty pen. I mostly use regular pens from brands such as Pilot and Sarasa, in my opinion it’s fine if such a plain-looking gel pen would be included.
The Inku Crate box costs $25, including shipping*. My estimation is that the total value of the items is around $20, which leaves $5 for the shipping costs. I don’t think that you would get such a deal if you were to buy the items separately from an online shop, so it is a good value. If you enjoy stationery items or kawaii journaling, the Inku Crate is certainly worth trying out.
Pricing & Information
The Inku Crate box costs $25 per month for 6-8 stationery items straight from Japan. This includes free shipping worldwide and there are further discounts if you subscribe for a block of 3, 6 or 12 months. SCK readers get 15% off any subscription with the code SUPERCUTEKAWAII.
Updated 2024: Inku Crate has now closed – use the SCK Guide to Subscription Boxes to find something similar or subscribe to the Japan Crate snack box with the discount above.
(Box was gifted by Japan Crate for review but all words, photographs and opinions are my own.)
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