Kanazawa accounts for more than 98% of Japan's gold leaf production, and boasts a history of more than 400 years. Kanezawa leaf is used in various crafts, including lacquerware and ceramics, as well as in shrines and temples with high historical value such as Kinkakuji and Nikko Toshogu. Recently, it has also been used in cosmetics and food products.
Gold leaf, which is prone to static electricity, does not like dryness.
The region is blessed with a humid climate and high-quality water, which is indispensable for making foil stamping paper, which plays an important role in the production of gold leaf.
This environment is perfect for foiling, and this is why gold leaf has developed in Kanazawa. It is a well-known story that the by-product of this foiling process is "Aburatori-gami" (oil-absorbent paper).
Another reason for the development of gold leaf in Kanazawa is the "craftsmanship" that has been nurtured in the Hokuriku region, which allows for persistent and steady work.
Kanazawa foil is made of metal that has been rolled to a thickness of one to two thousandths of a millimeter, and there are five types: gold foil, silver foil, platinum foil, Western-style foil, and aluminum foil.
It is said to be the thickness of a piece of material weighing approximately 2 grams (about half of a 10-yen coin), stretched to the limit of one tatami mat. In order to extend the material to the extreme thinness, all kinds of factors are required, including excellent craftsmanship, paper preparation, which is said to determine the gold leaf production process, and a climate suitable for gold leaf production.
Located almost in the center of Honshu, Kanazawa City has expanded its municipal area through repeated incorporations and mergers with neighboring towns and villages since its establishment as a city in 1889, and became a core city in 1996.
The city is well known for its abundant water resources, including the clean Saikawa River and the Asano River, as well as its abundant spring water, making it a "city of irrigation water.
The climate is on the Sea of Japan side, and it rains so much that people say, "Don't forget your umbrella even if you forget your lunch box. While there are many fine days in spring and summer, winter is often cloudy and rainy, and there is also snowfall.
The snow-covered Kenrokuen Garden and the Naga-machi Buke Yashiki Ruins are unique to Kanazawa. The high humidity is also ideal for traditional crafts such as lacquer painting, gold leaf production, and Kaga Yuzen dyeing.
Please consider commemorative gifts using“Kanazawa Gold Leaf”.
We accept a variety of requests,
including letterhead sets and Japanese paper accessories,
as well as items such as the souvenir example.
It is not known when the first gold and silver leaf was produced in Japan, but gold leaf has been found on accessories from the Kofun period.
Gold has also been used in temple architecture and Buddhist sculpture since ancient times as a symbol of eternity and constancy.
With the spread of Buddhist culture in Japan during the Heian, Muromachi, and Azuchi-Momoyama periods, the Chinese technique of gold leaf making eventually took root as a uniquely Japanese art form, and has developed into what it is today.
Kanazawa foil is said to have originated in 1593, when Maeda Toshiie, the founder of the Kaga Domain, received an order to produce gold and silver foil in his domains of Kaga and Noto to decorate the lances and other items used by the warriors in the Joseon campaign of Toyotomi Hideyoshi to greet a delegation from Ming China.
During the Kaga Clan's reign, it was forbidden to produce foil outside of Edo and Kyoto, but it is said that the Kaga Clan secretly produced gold leaf to promote the clan's crafts. While the foil industry in other regions declined, Kanazawa's industry has continued for more than 400 years.
During World War I, when Germany could no longer supply gold leaf, Kanazawa exported gold leaf, which made Kanazawa foil world famous. Foil stamping, which had previously been done manually, became mechanized. The industry declined for a time due to the lack of free use of metals during World War II, but it began to flourish again after the war.
Please consider commemorative gifts using“Kanazawa Gold Leaf”.
We accept a variety of requests,
including letterhead sets and Japanese paper accessories,
as well as items such as the souvenir example.