Kanazawa Gold Leaf is gold leaf produced mainly in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, and accounts for over 99% of all gold leaf used in Japan. Its origins are said to trace back to 1593, when Maeda Toshiie, founder of the Kaga domain, ordered gold leaf production to begin in Kanazawa while on campaign accompanying Toyotomi Hideyoshi's invasion of Korea. During the Edo period, the shogunate issued a ban restricting gold and silver leaf production to Edo and Kyoto, but the Kaga domain continued making it in secret, refining techniques to produce large quantities of high-quality gold leaf from limited materials. In 1864, thanks to the efforts of its craftsmen, gold leaf production was finally officially authorized as work for the shogunate. After the Meiji Restoration, while Edo's leaf makers declined, Kanazawa's gold leaf industry continued to grow. The craftsmanship of hammering an alloy of pure gold with a small amount of silver and copper into sheets roughly one ten-thousandth of a millimeter thick, together with Kanazawa's favorable climate and water quality, has produced a level of skill unmatched by any other region. It was designated a material for Traditional Crafts in 1977.
Origin
The origins of Kanazawa Gold Leaf are said to trace back to 1593, when Maeda Toshiie, founder of the Kaga domain, ordered gold leaf production to begin in Kanazawa while on campaign accompanying Toyotomi Hideyoshi's invasion of Korea. Gold-leaf making was subsequently encouraged within the Kaga domain, but the Edo shogunate issued a ban restricting gold and silver production to Edo and Kyoto, severely limiting production elsewhere. Even so, the Kaga domain continued making leaf in secret, refining its own techniques to produce high-quality gold leaf efficiently from limited materials.
History
Thanks to the efforts of Kaga domain craftsmen who continued production even under the shogunate's restrictions, gold leaf production was finally officially authorized as work for the shogunate in 1864. After the Meiji Restoration, while Edo's leaf makers, who had handled gold and silver casting, declined, Kanazawa's gold leaf industry continued to grow. A tailwind came when Germany's gold leaf production halted during World War I, and Kanazawa became, in both name and reality, Japan's largest gold leaf producing region. In 1977 it was designated a material for Traditional Crafts, and in 2020, Kanazawa's gold leaf production techniques were registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Features
The greatest feature of Kanazawa Gold Leaf lies in the craftsmanship of hammering an alloy of pure gold with a small amount of silver and copper into sheets of uniform thickness, roughly one ten-thousandth of a millimeter. It is produced through a division of labor between sumiya, who prepare the special paper called 'sumi' used in the process, and hakuya (leaf-beaters), who hammer out the metal with a leaf-beating machine; Kanazawa's climate and water quality also supported the development of this technique. Today, over 99% of the gold leaf used in Japan is produced in Kanazawa, and it is used across a wide range of fields, from Buddhist altars and ritual implements to maki-e decoration on lacquerware and ornamentation on craft goods.
Techniques
Leaf-Beating (Hakuuchi)
The process of hammering metal into extremely thin leaf. A hakuya (leaf-beater) uses a leaf-beating machine to hammer the metal into sheets roughly 10cm square and about one ten-thousandth of a millimeter thick, evenly throughout.
Sumi Preparation (Sumiuchi)
The process of preparing the special paper called 'sumi,' used to sandwich the metal for beating. This preparatory work is handled by specialist craftsmen known as sumiya.
Materials Used
Production Process
- 1
Making the Alloy
A small amount of silver and copper is added to pure gold to form an alloy.
- 2
Uwazumi (Initial Beating)
The alloy is hammered as thin as paper.
- 3
Sumiuchi
The special paper called 'sumi' is prepared to get ready for beating.
- 4
Hakuuchi (Leaf-Beating)
The metal, sandwiched in sumi, is repeatedly hammered with a leaf-beating machine.
- 5
Transferring and Cutting
The now extremely thin leaf is transferred onto paper and cut to the specified size.
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Artisans & Workshops
箔一
A company founded in 1975 that develops, manufactures, and sells Kanazawa gold leaf products. In 1976 it became the first in Japan to manufacture oil-blotting paper using the gold-leaf-beating paper method, and it has supplied Kanazawa gold leaf for the interiors of the Tokyo Skytree and Narita Airport.
Official site →How to Buy
- 箔一本店 箔巧館
- A hands-on facility where visitors can see, touch, and purchase Kanazawa gold leaf products. It carries a wide range of items made with Kanazawa gold leaf, from tableware and interior goods to cosmetics.Where to buy →PR
Hands-on Experiences
金箔屋さくだ 本店
石川県金沢市東山1-3-27
Founded in 1919. The gold-leaf application experience takes about 60 minutes; prices start from around 1,760 yen for chopsticks and around 2,310 yen for a round plate, materials included. Reservations required.
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