Every time I’ve visited Japan, I’ve come home with armfuls of cute things from HAPiNS, especially their original Fuku Fuku Nyanko cat characters. Since I have no chance of shopping in person any time soon, I placed my first online order recently so here’s a look at what I bought, what I want and how to order yourself.
I’ve never bought a fukubukuro (new year lucky bag/box) before but I was tempted when I saw that the Fuku Fuku Nyanko Happy Box included playing cards since I collect them. I had decided there wasn’t enough other items I wanted to be worth the price, but then I watched Rainbowholic’s unboxing video and realised there was a lot more inside than I thought! Luckily, it was still available on the HAPiNS website and I placed an order. More tips on that at the end of the post.
The box is really small compared to a subscription box but they managed to cram in so much stuff! It’s mostly small toys and stationery items and there’s not really any filler. I really enjoyed unpacking it all and was so happy with everything. Going clockwise from the top left, there’s a clear pouch, a thick memo pad (with 4 designs), playing cards, garland, sticky notes set, 3 rolls of washi tape, pencil case, 2 pens, keyring plush and a Nanoblock style kit. The lucky part really just comes down to which cat you get as the plush and blocks kit, which are both hidden in gachapon capsules, and since they’re all cute it’s unlikely to be a disappointment.
I’m so glad I ordered it as everything is really good quality and there’s a dessert theme which is super cute! I can see myself using everything here but my favourites are the memo block, washi tape, clear pouch and the blue pen with floaty cats inside! The playing cards are also completely delightful with a unique design on every card. The Nanoblock kit was very fiddly but a fun challenge for a stormy Sunday afternoon. If you want one too, this box is still available as is the larger Nyan Ranger superhero-themed box.
The only annoying thing is that the lucky boxes have to ship separately so I couldn’t add anything else to my order. I could have placed a second order and had them combined for forwarding but I wasn’t sure how big/heavy the box was and decided to wait. Here’s a few things on my wish list for next time! They also sell lots of cosy room wear and socks, kitchen gadgets and tech accessories. It’s not all Fuku Fuku Nyanko either – other HAPiNS characters include Hannari Tofu and Homy Animals (a cute bunny & bear), plus they have exclusive Disney items. I’m also really hoping there will be some products featuring their new bunny chick character Usapi soon.
How to order from HAPiNS
HAPINS don’t ship outside of Japan and there are no reliable resellers for the full shop range so you need to use a forwarding service. I regularly use Tenso to order from San-X and the process is almost exactly the same. I recently updated my step by step guide for How To Buy From Japanese Web Shops With Tenso with some additional information.
The HAPiNS checkout is a little trickier to decipher so here’s a screenshot to use with the guide above. Use a browser like Chrome that can auto-translate the page so you can switch between Japanese & English/your native language for the rest of the page. Unlike some sites, it doesn’t show a final page with all the details before you press the button to complete your order so make sure you check each section and page carefully before moving on.
As always, Tenso was very fast and I received my package 10 days after ordering (Japan > UK in 5 days with AIR/Registered Small Package service) and no customs fees. As you can see in the price breakdown above, I ended up paying more than the item price in shipping and fees, but it still feels worth it to me. I could also have chosen a cheaper shipping service. If you have any other questions about ordering from HAPiNS leave a comment and I’ll try to answer.
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