Golden Week occurs during May in Japan. A period when, by chance, several national holidays happen to fall during the same week, and if you’re lucky with the weekend, you could end up with near a whole week off work or school.

GW is often used as an opportunity to travel, meaning that Japan’s tourist destinations such as Kyoto, get a huge boost, as crowds descend on their towns. But sadly, due to the current global pandemic it’s not advisable to travel and most people will be spending their Golden Week at home.

Not only are the disappointed travellers wistful about their missed opportunity to visit Kyoto, but the Kyoto businesses themselves are suffering too, as they heavily rely on custom from tourists. Due to this, many businesses are thinking outside of their usual business model, and Kogetsu, a traditional Kyoto sweets makers which has been operating for 75 years, is one of those businesses.

If you’re suffering from a lack of trips due to the current situation, you can get a taste of Kyoto and help out an affected business, thanks to this amazing seasonal traditional sweets set that Kogetsu have put together to be sold and delivered via their online shop.

Wagashi, traditional Japanese sweets, are heavily influenced by the seasons, and Kogetsu have carefully selected Kyoto specialties representing the beginning of summer.

As sad as it is that we can’t experience Kyoto itself this Golden Week, at least we can sample a historical taste of the area and provide custom for its traditional businesses at the same time!

Kogetsu are accepting orders through their online shop until 31st May, and the special assortment of sweets can also be found on Rakuten, Yahoo Shopping and Amazon.