#kizunabox

[manekiniki]

Holiday Box

December was Kizuna box’s winter holiday box. Much like the nekobox, I forgot the pamphlet for this box upstairs as well. Moreover I’m late, again. I seem to be failing left and right (especially because I still have to review the kizuna January box as well..Hang with me,.. I’ll get there eventually. For now, please enjoy the kizuna december box. 

So first is a little post card that wishes all of the kizuna box subscribers a happy 2018. I love when Kizuna box includes things like this in their boxes cause it just makes everything seem more close knit, and friend/family like. We also have some stickers. I think there were multiple types that you could receive. I got Daruma (which I love and have already found a place in my planner.)

Next I had this Cat notepad! I realized after looking at the pamphlet that this wasn’t just a normal part of the box! Yeah I was delayed in seeing the note posted on the back of it. guys! this was my 6th box with nekobox! I also found it super sweet of them to give me a special little gift for it, their kind words made it a worthy celebration and I hope to have many more months with you all!

Daruma! Sorry, I’m just really excited! if you know me, you know that my luck isn’t particularly the best around. Because of this I have a love for japanese good luck charms like manekineko and the daruma. Before receiving this, I had 3 others that I had previously purchased from the nekobox shop, but I was still super excited and happy to receive another. With Daruma, you color in one eye when making a wish or goal, and the other eye doesn’t get colored in until your wish/goal is established.

The december box’s cloth is a furushiki cloth. This particular one shows the image of a snowy field with snowflakes falling, and a little snow rabbit in the corner. But my favorite part if the only color on the cloth (aside from the edging) and thats the tree with bright red and white flowers.

These are the snacks that they include in each months box. This months are types of rice crackers! They were Very yummy, but due to not having the pamphlet, I can’t even tell you what flavors. One had shrimp! I remember that much. I’m so sorry for failing.

Next we have a winter/holiday greeting card. There were multiple cards that you could have gotten; Mine appears to have a japanese temple and tiny little santas all around the front of it. This card is so beautiful. I know its meant to be sent, but honestly I’m going to be putting it in my scrapbook so that I don’t have to part with it. 

The final item in the box I saved for last as it is meant to be the star of the box, I believe. Its a sake set! Now I don’t drink, and I havent ever, but I love how beautiful japanese sake bottles and sets are. I have this one set up on one of my shelves as decoration. It’s so pretty, I’m not sure my picture shows it quite right, but there are small groves in it and the bottle has indents to make it easier to hold and pour.

And there you have it. The kizuna december box! I hope you enjoyed reading and viewing it as much as I did when receiving it. I am still subscribed to kizuna box, and I just have to say that it was a very hard choice. It doesn’t mean that I liked it better than nekobox, I actually loved them both for their own reasons. It honestly came down to my inability to make a choice and so i wrote them down put them in a hat and picked. Due to this years savings, I had to drop a subbox that way I would actually have an extra $50 a month. I’m glad to have at least one box now, this way I still get my japan fix, and the happiness keeps coming. Thank you kizuna box for the smile your subscripton box gives me every month. 

If you havent yet, please do subscribe. These sub boxes only exist because we order them. without us, they wouldn’t be here and to think that they wouldn’t be is a really sad thought.

[manekiniki]

The Momiji Box

Finally, I’ve come to Kizuna Box’s Momji box. I am sorry that it took me so long to get this review up. A month late. I honestly planned to get it up sooner but sometimes life takes hold and, well plans never go as planned. I am happy to share it with everyone now though, because it truly is a gorgeous box. As always, Kizuna box out did themselves by bringing Japan to our doorsteps. TO see what came in the momiji box, and maybe what it is; click!

Japan in autumn, is said to be beautiful once the autumn foliage comes to show itself., and according to Kizuna box the Autumn foliage is to Japanese autumn, what cherry blossoms are to the spring. One of the most loved, and the one that represents most is the Momiji, or the japanese maple. Its vibrant crimson foliage is considered the most iconic symbol of japans autumn. Just thinking about it brings me joy as I imagine the sight of Japan in Autumn. With that, lets see what curations Kizuna box brought to us this month

Like all boxes previously Kizuna box adds a snack or two to their lifestyle boxes for subscribers to enjoy. November’s included Momiji rice crackers, and purple sweet potato cookies. I have to say that, despite not reviewing this in a timely manner, I did get to try these and they’re both so good. I have to say that the rice crackers were probably my favorite though as there seemed to be a lot of flavor that bit at your tongue. 

Next we got mini Momiji message cards. There are 2 designs that you could have received. I love stationary, and as someone who is constantly making lists and writing notes, I always appreciate any sort of stationary or paper that helps with this. 

Before I tell you more about this, I have to say that this card is probably one of the most beautiful that i’ve seen. I know its meant to be sent to someone, but I think i’m going to have to be selfish and keep it for myself. This car is made using embossing techniques, so the designs are slightly raised giving the card a lovely texture. The colors are bright and vibrant and honestly just gorgeous. There were 3 different designs that could have been found in your box. They feature maiko and famous attractions in Kyoto during different seasons. 

I’m not sure if my picture did these chopsticks justice, but there are beautiful metallic like momiji on the top of them. They are lacquered natural wood chopsticks  from a series with various designs from the fukui-based manufacturer - tanaka hashiten. 

Im honestly never disappointed in the cloths that are included in the kizuna boxes. This months is a Furoshiki cloth, that are used as a traditional japanese wrapping cloths for gifts, clothes and just about anything. This one features momiji leaves and the japanese symbolic pattern of seigaiha (sea waves). You would have received either pink or green. I got the pink and I feel like it mwaks the colors in the leaves pop!

Next we have this adorable momiji ceramic plate. This plate came in either pink or green. I love that they seemed to keep with a matching mindset and gave me pink to match my furoshiki. This plate is ideal for sauces or small desserts and can also be used as a tea bag coaster or a chopstick rest.

Last but not least, and probably one of my favorites for this box is this mino-yaki momiji ceramic tea cup. For this particular item you would have received either a tea cup, or a tea bowl. I got the cup, and i’m quite please as if you noticed way back in september? neko box had a matcha box and i received a bowl. Now i have a tea cup and bowl. This particular cup is quite gorgeous in it design and coloring. Sencha tea cups are small cups that are perfect for small tea parties, get-togethers, or special occasions. Each are hand-crafted and have variances because of this. 

With that we come to an end of our momiji box. As always kizuna box has outdone themselves. If you are really interested in japan, and want to feel like you are a part of a family, then you should sincerely consider subscribing to Kizuna box. They are always curating beautiful items, and they treat their customers as if they are their dearest friends, or family. head to their instagram or website (re-discoveryjapan.net) and subscribe! If the lifestyle items arent for you, they also have a snack box!

[manekiniki]

Kizuna Box October 2017

Hey everyone, sorry for the delay with this. If you don’t follow me on Instagram, Will and I jumped on an opportunity to adopt a puppy. We were wanting to sometime after christmas, but the rehoming fee was only $75 and we couldn’t pass that up. Due to that, we had to pick him up, get all the items we’d need for him and then try and get him settled into a new home; It left me with very little sleep and very little time to get this done. However we aren’t here to talk about the pup we’re here to talk about Kizuna’s October box; The Autumn box! To read more and find out about the items curated in this months Kizuna box, Click below. 

October’s Kizuna box welcomes us into Autumn by introducing us to Autumn in Japan with beautiful Floral ceramics and homewares. The items in this box are influenced by the Seven flowers of Autumn or Aik no Nanakuse. These flowers are often the topic of many Haiku and other Japanese literature, though not often known outside Japan. These flowers include Hagi (bush clover), Obana (Japanese pampas grass), Kuzu (Japanese arrow root), Nadeshiko (large pink), Ominaeshi (golden lace flower), Fujibakama (boneset) and kikyo (Japanese Bell flower.) Outside of these flowers the Cosmos (also known as Autumns Cherry blossom) and the Ginkgo Tree are a big part of Japan in the Autumn.

The First item that caught my eye in this months box was this beautiful Cosmos bowl. After seeing it, I totally understand why its referred to as Autumns Sakura. They appear to be just as beautiful and eye catching, and if you know me you know I have a weakness for Sakuras, so it’s not surprised that this caught my eye first. It’s a good sized bowl, perfect for any dish you plan to eat with it. It origionated from the Gifu Prefecture, mino-yaki with a history said to date back to 1300 years ago. 

Unsurprising I’m sure, but this lovely Sakura spoon is the perfect companion for the cosmos bowl. The Sakura and Cosmos go rather well together and compliment each other. Plus if you decide to use your bowl for soup or cereal, you already know which spoon to use with it!

The next two items on this months box are Autumn themed stickers. Each box received one sheet our of 4 different sticker sheets. The one in my box contains images of cats and leaves. Perfect for fall, but also perfect for my planner and scrap book. I can’t wait to use them! The other item in this picture is the Princess Daruma and Ginkgo Postcard. illustrated on the postcard of two princess Daruma standing before ginkgo trees. Other than being the official tree of Tokyo, the Ginkgo tree is also a symbol of Autumn in Japan.

The snack included in this months box are Dried Persimmons (Hoshigaki.) According to the pamphlet Persimmons are the ultimate fruit of Autumn. The japanese have a long tradition of drying persimmons and it has been channeled into this award winning product. They also let you know that it pairs perfectly with some tea. Now i’ve never had a persimmon, though I love fruit, so i’m excited to try this.

This next item I think is going to end up being one of my favorited. It’s a Hagi Shirayuki cloth. The Hagi or bush clover is one of the seven flowers of autumn. The cloth itself is a fusion of traditions from kyoto and nara, namely the Yuzen dyeing technique and special cotton cloth. Kizuna box was also incredibly helpful by included a copy of different uses of the cloth with each box. The uses are many, but a few include a face cloth, a wash cloth, hand towel or a dish towel. According to the included sheet, this cloth is great for people with sensitive skin (like me!) So I think i’m intrigued to try this as a face cloth.

The second ceramic piece in this box is the Seto-Yaki Kikyo small ceramic bowl. Kikyo is the Japanese bellflower, and also a celebrated ‘seven flowers of autumn.’ Unlike the Cosmos bowl, this bowl is tiny and seems best for sauces or dips. 

Last, but certainly not least is this beautiful Mount fuji Tea storage Tin. The container itself is tin, but when you remove the metal top, there is a nice soft plastic seal cover to keep your tea fresh. The outer layer is a durable thick Washi that has Mount Fuji and autumn leaves illustrated on it. 

And there you have it, The Kizuna Autumn Lifestyle box! As always, Kizuna box did not disappoint. If you haven’t signed up yet, (and I mean really, WHY HAVENT YOU?!) Then you should head over to their instagram (@kizunabox) Click the link in their bio and sign up! It’s entirely worth it for the price, and you won’t be disappointed in the items you receive. Again I am sorry it took me so long to get this post up and running but I hope you enjoyed it still!

[manekiniki]

Otsukimi Box

Kizuna Boxes September 2017 Edition is the Otsukimi Box, Harvest Moon Festival. If you’re not sure what that means, or entails, Allow a small tid bit from their pamphlet. “Otsukimi or Harvest Moon Festival, is a major festival Celebrated across Japan on September 15 every year. Otsukimi, Literally meaning ‘moon viewing’, is an occasion when people gather together to appreciate the moon which is believed to be the brightest and the most beautiful this time of year.”

For those of us that cannot be in Japan to take part in this festival, This box brings us just a bit closer to it. Inside we find adorable moon and rabbit inspired items to help us celebrate. Why Rabbits? Due to the Japanese Belief of a Rabbit living on the moon, the moon and by extension, Otsukimi, are often associated with Rabbits. Interested in seeing more? Click below!

Now, before I get to the unboxing I’d like to first tell you about a couple of new things going on with Kizuna box. First, if you aren’t aware they have a news letter on their site you can sign up with to keep up to date on any information. In the most recent Newsletter it was announced that their boxes now have tracking! I’m not sure how this impacts anyone else, but personally it’s fantastic. I work a third shift job, and having a tracker lets me know when it is I need to be awake to get the post. This Also comes with a slight increased in their base shipping by $3. Cool thing is, if you are already subscribed, or subscribe before September 25th, the $3 increase gets waived! 

Kizuna box never ceases to amazement with their appreciation and consideration of their customers. They listen to their reviews and run with them. They also seem grateful, something that is shown with the first item in the unboxing.  

If you were someone that gave Kizuna box a review on their facebook page, or their cratejoy page, you Will have received this item as a thank you. They are pretty little envelopes with clovers in the corners. Taped the package is a hand written note care from the Kizuna box team saying thank you.

The next item we have are 2 Teika no Tsuki (Teika’s Moon) Rice Crackers. according to the pamphlet the product line is insipred by Fujiwara no Teika (1162-1241) A Japanese poet of the late Heian and early Kamakura periods who deeply admired the moon. I haven’t tried them yet, but I’m excited to. For now I can say that I really love the texture of the wrapping on them.

Next we have a small Rabbit and Sakura drawstring bag. They come in either Black, red, or blue. I received the blue on. The bag seems sturdy and well made and its so pretty! I have a weakness for Sakura though, so who can blame me? It is small enough to carry around in your pocket, or purse; and can be used for your coins, small belongings and any other small accessories. I plan to use it for my lipgloss so that i will stop losing it in my purse. 

Next we have two items that I couldn’t help but picture together since I got lucky enough to have them match. The first is a Mino-yaki chopstick rest with a rabbit and moon pattern. It originated from Gifu Prefecture, Mino Yaki is Japans most popular pottery. It’s history dates back 1300 years ago. For this box they come in either Red (pictured) or blue. The other Item is a pair of Rabbit chopsticks. They are produced by the fukui prefecture based ISHIDA Co., Ltd, a chopsticks manufacturing company with more than 80 years history. Based on the picture it looks like there were a wide array of colors you could have ended up with , I’m pleased with the red. After you pair it with the next item, you will have completed your rabbit themed tableware!

The Mino-yaki Rabbit and The moon Ceramic plate. The plate shows a rabbit jumping over pampas grass with a large moon in the background. according to their pamphlet, it indicated Otsukimi tradition as pampas gras is an iconic decoration item for the festival as well as prosperity due to the rabbit leaping forward. I love this plate, its adorable, yet practical. 

Next we have the Rabbit and Sakura furoshiki cloth! This thing is so gorgeous. The texture and design are beautiful and I think this may win for my favorite item for the box, and yes it was hard to choose. This cloth is from the Osaka apparel cooperative, and come in either red or blue. Furoshiki cloths are a traditional japanese wrapping cloths and can be used to wrap, bento, gifts, clothes and anything capable of being wrapped.

I was also excited, on a childlike level, when I unwrapped this adorable Roly-poly Rabbit toy doll or Okiagari Koboshi. These are toys that right themselves when pushed over. They are said to represent the japanese proverb of resilience, “nana korobi ya oki” or seven times down, eight times up. This encourages people to get up and keep going no matter how many times they get knocked down; and this little reminder is adorable!

This might take a tie for first place in the box as well. Its a Rabbit Makie Bookmark. According to the pamphlet Makie is a thousand year old technique for lacquerware decoration in which designs are made by layering metal powders including gold and silver on the lacquerware using a special brush. Being that I love to read, I really love this book mark. I go through a lot of book marks as the paper ones tend to get worn out over time. i have a feeling this book mark is going to last for quite some time. 

[manekiniki]

My Kizuna box has arrived! This is the first Kixzuna box that I ordered, and it’s actually a miracle I got it to begin with. By that I mean, I discovered kizuna box late, like a box or so behind this one. I wasn’t even sure that I was able to order it, I simply commented on their instagram post of the items inside and said that I was sorry to have missed out, but I was going to try for their next one. Their response shocked me. “Thank you for your interest in our products! We’re so glad you like it, we had so much fun curating the products for this box because everything with hydrangeas on it is just so beautiful! Fortunately we still have 1 left is stock, should you consider purchasing it.” From there, they gave me a link to where I could buy it without having to do an entire subscription (great for people like me who live paycheck to paycheck, and need to sort their money and budget a certain amount toward treating ourselves) and that I only needed to inbox them my order number and they’d make sure I got this box specifically rather than the one currently going out. To read more about this box, see images of what was inside it. Click below!

Kizuna box is a fairly new subscription box from re-discovery japan. They have 2 different boxes, the Lifestyle box (reviewed here) and their snack box. The lifestyle box contains 5-7 high-quality Japanese items that include ceramics, Cloths, stationary and snacks. The Snack box contains 13-16 artisanal traditional and limited edition Japanese snacks and Beverages, along with 1-2 cultural and lifestyle items. This is their Rainy season box, and to my understanding their first box. Since my order they have sent out their “Tanabata” Box and their “Japan’s summer” box (on the way for me!). 

Before I get to the pictures (I know, i know, I’ll be quick, promise.) I want to Commend Kizuna box employees for their amazing customer service. It’s honestly some of the best I’ve come across since I started ordering things online. I had some issues with my Address. The dropdown menu would only allow me to pick places in Japan, rather than states in the USA. I sent them a small message on Instagram, seeing if perhaps I was doing something wrong. They wrong back, in no exaggerating, five minutes later. They walked me through how to get my address correct (Heads up, check out with pay-pal, so much easier just an FYI) and even noted that they were apologetic to the point that they’d add a free item in my box for the trouble. WHAT?! Yeah. I’ve since contacted them on multiple occasions and its always a pleasant experience. Anxiety sufferers, rejoice. This is one experience that wont send you into heart palpitations. NOW! without further ado, Welcome to Kizuna box.

First thing you’ll see is a pamphlet that tells you all about the theme of this box, Which is nice especially if you aren’t from that area. Personally I didn’t know Japan had a rainy season, especially not one that Causes the hydrangeas to bloom like crazy, so I appreciated the history. Everything else n the pamphlet tells you about the items in your box, and where they came from.

Everything is carefully wrapped and secured in hopes that nothing arrives to you broken, and you can tell that its placed with care inside the box. Now for what’s inside!

Despite being a lifestyle box, Kizuna includes snack items in theirs, so show what Japanese people would be eating, or drinking at this specific time of the year. The rainy season box came with 2 Kamakura Ajisai Sandwich cookies, 2 Ito En instant green tea packets, and 1 Premium Mint, summer edition kit kat!

Other lifestyle boxes that I’ve had do not include this. When asked, they state that they aren’t a food box. I personally saw this as a nice touch since, there is more to a lifestyle than ceramic pieces. Yes I love the ceramic pieces but I know my life includes more than just places and bowls. So the Candy, cookies, and tea seemed fitting to me. I also liked that they listed any allergens the items given might include, and the expiration date. 

The next item in the box was an Ajisai Document Folder from Unsodo. Its a simple folder, slightly smaller than the pamphlet inside. I use mine for the invoices of my online purchases. In works well for that!

There was also an Ajisai furoshiki cloth from Yonagado. I don’t think my pictures do the colors justice. its a white/greyish cloth with dark blue images on it and a navy blue boarder. This is the 4th furoshiki cloth that I own, and I use them (this one included) to line the shelf that holds my Japanese ceramics. However, furoshiki cloths are traditionally used to wrap bento, gifts, and other items.

I found this post card to be an adorable addition to the box. I’ll be using it in my scrapbook, but you can hang it on your wall, or even send it in the mail to someone. It is “The cat Series” by Tsuyu Ukiyo-e.

I’m not going to lie that Mino yaki Ajisail Ceramic bowl is the thing that stole my attention when I first saw the kizuna box, and with this one I received two! One is the green that went with the plate (pictured below) and the other is pink, slightly smaller and is what I believe my free gift was for my difficulties with my address. You can feel the bumps in the ceramic of the Hydrangeas. The inside of the bowl is even beautiful with an outline of the flowers as well. 

The final Item of this box is the Mino-yaki Ajisai Ceramic plate. Can I just say that I love this plate! its different then the plates i received from my other Japanese lifestyle box, It isn’t just a plate with an image painted on it, it is the image in itself. It’s unique and beautiful and entirely its own.

I think all in all I’m very pleased with everything that I received in the kizuna box, and with Kizuna itself. You can tell by the items chosen that they care about the culture, about the items they’re curating and the theme that they’ve chosen for the box that month. They seem to put care into their work, and care into their customers. If you’re looking for a lifestyle box that teaches you, provides you with items that you’re sure to love, and people that won’t blow off your concerns; then Kizuna box is for you.