Bokksu

Bokksu was founded in 2015 by Danny Taing, son of Cambodian-Chinese refugees who developed a passion for Japanese culture during four years living in Tokyo. After studying at Waseda University and working at Rakuten in Japan, Danny returned to New York City in 2013 wanting to share authentic Japanese snacks with Americans who couldn’t access them outside specialty import shops.

Company Mission

Bokksu’s mission is to connect people with authentic Japanese culture through premium snacks sourced directly from 100+ year-old family makers across Japan. By curating monthly boxes around cultural themes (festivals, prefectures, seasons), they aim to provide not just snacks but educational experiences that deepen understanding of Japanese traditions and regional specialties.

Products & Services

Bokksu offers multiple product lines:

• Classic Bokksu: 20-24 premium snacks and tea monthly ($39.95-49.95)
• Tasting Box: 10-14 snacks for lighter subscription ($24.95-29.95)
• Bokksu Market: Digital marketplace for Japanese lifestyle products
• Bokksu Boutique: Corporate gifting and bulk orders
• Culture Guide: 16+ page magazine detailing snack origins and cultural context

All boxes ship directly from Japan with free shipping, featuring monthly themes celebrating Japanese festivals, prefectures, and traditions.

What Sets Them Apart

Bokksu differentiates through cultural authenticity and maker relationships. Unlike competitors mixing mainstream Japanese brands (Pocky, Kit Kats), Bokksu sources from century-old family businesses producing traditional Japanese confections not exported to Western markets. The detailed Culture Guide magazine provides context about each snack’s regional origin, craftsmanship, and cultural significance. However, customer service consistency issues reflected in BBB D- rating (failure to respond to complaints) contrasts with generally positive Trustpilot reviews (3.9/5 from 738 customers), suggesting operational growing pains as the company scaled from Danny hand-packing boxes in his living room to shipping 20,000-30,000 boxes monthly.