Kanazawa Gold Leaf Guide 2025: Experience Workshops, Museums & Instagram-Worthy Food w/map
Kanazawa, known as the largest city in the Hokuriku region, has been famous as one of Japan's premier cultural cities since the Edo period. Therefore, it is renowned as a city with an especially large number of historical and traditional spots in Japan.
Since Kanazawa developed from a castle town during the Edo period, it has a rich culture where history and tradition can be felt. Among these, the most famous is Gold Leaf, which has been beloved as a Kanazawa specialty for many years. This time, we will introduce recommended facilities in Kanazawa where you can experience the charm of Gold Leaf and discover the beauty of Kanazawa Gold.
Kanazawa is Famous for Traditional Crafts Using Gold Leaf
In Kanazawa, traditional crafts using Gold Leaf developed as an industry during the winter agricultural off-season. This was because Kanazawa's climate and water quality were ideal locations for Gold Leaf production.
Craft production flourished from the Edo period, and during this time, many Kimonos and Lacquerware decorated with Gold Leaf were created. Kanazawa was also blessed with many craftsmen who could perform persistent and delicate work, and crafts developed into an industry representing Kanazawa.
As an industry representing Kanazawa, Kanazawa Gold (Gold Leaf) is now used not only in traditional crafts but also in beauty products and food items in recent years.
Table of Contents
-4 Recommended Facilities in Kanazawa Where You Can View and Purchase Crafts Using Gold Leaf
-Experience It Yourself! 3 Facilities Where You Can Enjoy Gold Leaf Application
-Instagram-Worthy! 3 Popular Kanazawa Gourmet Foods Featuring Gold Leaf
What Exactly is Gold Leaf? What Makes it Special?
Gold Leaf is a thin sheet of gold created by hammering gold to its extreme thinness using a Hammer. Gold Leaf is used as decoration on crafts, buildings, and clothing, and excels at creating a gorgeous appearance by utilizing its beautiful golden color.
Originally, Kanazawa was blessed with an environment of favorable climate and water for producing high-quality Gold Leaf. Against this background, Gold Leaf has been passed down as a traditional technique, and continues to be used as material for traditional crafts produced in Kanazawa even today.
The manufacturing method of Gold Leaf has received high praise overseas, and in 2020, it was registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.
4 Recommended Facilities in Kanazawa Where You Can View and Purchase Crafts Using Gold Leaf
From here, we will introduce four facilities in Kanazawa where you can view and purchase crafts using Gold Leaf.
If you're thinking of buying Kanazawa Gold craft items as souvenirs, please use this as a reference.
Imai Kinpaku Main Store
Source:Official website
Imai Kinpaku is a specialized store for Gold Leaf that represents Kanazawa. It's a long-established store that has been selling Gold Leaf for over 100 years, and many crafts using beautiful Gold Leaf are sold here, making it a recommended shop for souvenir purchases.
They also put effort into conveying the charm of Gold Leaf, conducting hands-on workshop classes where you can actually hold Gold Leaf and apply it to craft items. You can also taste food using Kanazawa Gold (Gold Leaf), making it the perfect shop for those who want to learn about the charm of Gold Leaf in detail.
I also participated in a workshop class at this shop and learned about the delicacy and beauty of Gold Leaf.
Address: 7-3 Saiwai-cho, Kanazawa-shi, Ishikawa Prefecture
Business Hours: 10:00-17:00
Closed: Sundays, Mondays, Public Holidays
Phone Number: 076-223-8989
Official Homepage: https://www.kinpaku.co.jp/english/
Kanazawa Yasue Gold-Leaf Museum
Source:Ishikawa Travel
Kanazawa Yasue Gold-Leaf Museum is a museum with Gold Leaf as its theme. It displays the history, techniques, and crafts of Gold Leaf in Kanazawa, allowing you to learn about Kanazawa Gold knowledge from the ground up.
The interior decorations use Gold Leaf, and you will certainly be excited by its beauty. The exhibitions about Gold Leaf manufacturing tools and work processes are also substantial, making it a recommended facility for those who want to learn about Gold Leaf in detail.
There are many valuable exhibits, so if you want to learn about the charm of Kanazawa Gold, please be sure to visit.
Address: 1-3-10 Higashiyama, Kanazawa-shi, Ishikawa Prefecture
Business Hours: 9:30-17:00
Closed: Tuesdays (or the following day if it's a holiday), Year-end and New Year holidays (December 29 - January 3)
Phone Number: 076-251-8950
Official Homepage: https://www.kanazawa-museum.jp/kinpaku/
Gold Leaf Sakuda Main Store
Source:Official website
Gold Leaf Sakuda is a shop that sells crafts made using the renowned Kanazawa Gold leaf produced in Kanazawa. This long-established store has been in business for over 100 years, and in addition to selling crafts, they also hold experience classes where you can learn about the manufacturing process and application techniques of Kanazawa Gold leaf.
You'll find yourself losing track of time while admiring their unique crafts, cosmetics, and food items decorated with Kanazawa Gold leaf. The restroom features luxurious walls adorned with gold leaf, so be sure to visit it as a memorable part of your shop experience.
They also conduct hands-on classes for applying Kanazawa Gold leaf, and I personally participated and thoroughly enjoyed the charm of this precious Kanazawa Gold material.
Address: 1-3-27 Higashiyama, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture
Business Hours: 9:00-17:00
Regular Holidays: Irregular holidays
Phone Number: 076-251-6777
Official Website: https://goldleaf-sakuda.jp/
Tajima Gold Leaf Crafts
Source:Kanazawa Tourism Official
Tajima Gold Leaf Crafts is a shop that sells gifts, souvenirs, and commemorative items made with exquisite Kanazawa Gold leaf. Inside the store, you'll find an abundant selection of items including dishes and chopsticks decorated with this beautiful Kanazawa Gold.
The shop offers hands-on courses where you can apply Kanazawa Gold leaf to your favorite crafts, allowing you to easily learn about the depth and beauty of this traditional Kanazawa Gold art. Classes typically last 1-2 hours, but if you're in a hurry, they can accommodate shorter sessions.
They have an extensive product selection, and I often visit here when buying souvenirs in Kanazawa. If you're looking to purchase souvenirs featuring authentic Kanazawa Gold leaf, definitely consider visiting this wonderful shop.
Address: 11-1 Musashi-machi, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture
Business Hours: 10:00-16:00
Regular Holidays: Tuesdays (with winter and summer breaks)
Phone Number: 076-201-8486
Official Website: https://www.tajima-kinpaku.com/kogei/
Experience It Yourself! 3 Facilities Where You Can Enjoy Gold Leaf Application
Here are three facilities where you can actually experience the art of applying Kanazawa Gold leaf. At these experience facilities, you can create original crafts by applying this precious Kanazawa Gold to various items. If you want to learn about the depth and beauty of Kanazawa Gold leaf craftsmanship, please use this as your reference.
Gold Leaf Kanazawa Katani
Source:Official website
Kanazawa Katani is a Kanazawa Gold leaf manufacturer with 120 years of history, producing all kinds of crafts related to this traditional Kanazawa Gold art. Katani offers gold leaf application seminars for tourists, accommodating everyone from individual visitors to large groups.
When applying Kanazawa Gold leaf, you use 40 different types of stencil stickers, and after application, you can arrange your design using brushes. Staff members provide advice for any questions you have, so even those who aren't good with detailed work can participate with confidence.
The experience class fee starts from a reasonable 800 yen. While seminars typically last 60 minutes, staff can arrange shorter sessions if you consult with them in advance.
Address: 6-33 Shimoshinmachi, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture
Business Hours: 9:00-17:00
Regular Holidays: Irregular holidays
Phone Number: 076-231-1566
Official Website: https://www.k-katani.com/experience-e
Hakuichi Hakuko-kan
Source:Kanazawa Tourism Official
Hakuichi Hakuko-kan is Japan's largest hands-on museum dedicated to the art of Kanazawa Gold leaf. You can learn about the history of Kanazawa Gold in Kanazawa, the manufacturing process, and the properties of this precious material through interactive media art experiences.
At their main store, you can also experience applying Kanazawa Gold leaf, with plans available for beginners to advanced practitioners, matching your travel time and budget. You can freely choose your craft items, so you can create original pieces by applying beautiful Kanazawa Gold to your preferred crafts.
I also visited here to experience gold leaf application and enjoyably learned about the profound depth of this traditional Kanazawa Gold art.
Address: 2-1-1 Morito, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture
Business Hours: 9:00-18:00 / 9:00-17:00 (December 1 - end of February)
Regular Holidays: January 1st
Phone Number: 076-240-8911
Official Website: https://enkanazawa.hakuichi.co.jp/
Kanazawa Bikazari Asano
Source:Tripadvisor
Kanazawa Bikazari Asano is a select shop with a "kawaii" (cute) concept. They sell lifestyle items and traditional crafts created by Hokuriku region creators, where you can lose track of time enjoying your shopping experience.
On the second floor of the shop, they hold experience classes for creating original crafts using Kanazawa Gold leaf application. Reservations are possible from two months in advance, but if there are openings, you can participate without a reservation. In the classes, staff provide careful instruction, so even beginners can easily learn to apply this beautiful Kanazawa Gold.
If you want to learn about the profound depth of Kanazawa Gold leaf artistry, definitely consider participating in their classes.
Address: 1-8-3 Higashiyama, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture
Business Hours: Shop 9:00-18:00 / Experience Area 10:00-16:00
Regular Holidays: January 1st (Experience Area: January 1st and Tuesdays)
Phone Number: 076-251-8911
Official Website: https://kanazawa.hakuichi.co.jp/shop/kanazawa-asano.php
Enjoying Tourism While Learning About Gold Leaf and Traditional Crafts from Local Guides is Highly Recommended
If you want to learn about Kanazawa Gold leaf and the history of traditional crafts, we recommend participating in this tour. This tour takes you around Kanazawa's major tourist attractions in half a day, allowing you to deeply study Kanazawa's history.
The tour highlights include visiting the Higashi Chaya District, where you'll visit tea houses with over 200 years of history and learn from the guide's explanations about how Kanazawa Gold leaf is used. Afterwards, you'll visit souvenir shops and enjoy shopping for crafts made with Kanazawa Gold leaf.
You'll also visit other major tourist spots such as Omicho Market and Kenrokuen. If you want to understand the depth of Kanazawa culture, please consider participating!
Meeting Point: Omicho Market
Tour Area: Central Kanazawa
Start Time: 10:00
Instagram-Worthy! 3 Popular Kanazawa Gourmet Foods Featuring Gold Leaf
From here, we'll introduce three popular Kanazawa gourmet foods featuring Kanazawa Gold leaf. All of these beautiful dishes are Instagram-worthy, so if you're interested, please visit them!
Hakuichi Cafe
Source:Kanazawa Kanko-kyokai
Hakuichi Cafe is a cafe attached to the Hakuko-kan introduced earlier. The interior is bright with glass walls and full of openness, so you can relax and enjoy your meal.
What we recommend at this cafe are sweets made with Kanazawa Gold leaf. Various sweets are available, including ice cream wrapped with Kanazawa Gold leaf, coffee sprinkled with powdered Kanazawa Gold leaf, and warabi-mochi topped with kuromitsu.
Visit after the gold leaf application workshop or shopping, and relax while enjoying the peaceful flow of time.
Address: 2-1-1 Morito, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture
Business Hours: 9:00-17:00
Closed: January 1st
Phone Number: 076-240-8911
Kenjotei Tea House
Source:Kenrokuen
Kenjotei Tea House is a representative Kanazawa tea house with 100 years since its establishment, located near Kenrokuen. The carefully seasoned, delicately flavored dishes and tableware made from Kanazawa crafts are exquisite, attracting many tourists.
At the tea house, parfaits and lattes made with aromatic matcha are also popular, but the most popular item is ice cream made with Kanazawa Gold leaf. The golden appearance is beautiful and guaranteed to be Instagram-worthy.
Please visit after touring Kenrokuen and Kanazawa Castle.
Address: 1-19 Kenroku-machi, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture
Business Hours: 10:00-16:30
Closed: Wednesdays
Phone Number: 076-222-1600
Official Website: https://kenrokuen.jp/
Kaikaro
Source:Official website
Kaikaro in the Higashi Chaya District is Kanazawa's largest-scale tea house architecture, which is 200 years old. The building, which retains the strong traces of its original completion, has received high praise and has been designated as a Kanazawa City designated preserved building.
The highlights are the gorgeous Japanese-style rooms and golden tea room, where many sophisticated decorative items and crafts made with Kanazawa Gold leaf are displayed, allowing you to learn about Kanazawa's tea house culture. The gift shop sells many products made with Kanazawa Gold leaf, which are popular with tourists.
There's also a cafe where you can taste tea and sweets, so feel free to stop by.
Address: 1-14-8 Higashiyama, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture
Business Hours: 10:00-17:00
Closed: Wednesdays
Phone Number: 076-253-0591
Official Website: https://www.kaikaro.jp/
Since You're Coming to Kanazawa, Enjoy Exquisite Local Food and Sake with Local Guides!
If you want to taste exquisite local food and delicious sake in nighttime Kanazawa, try participating in a food tour led by local guides. Visit three carefully selected unique restaurants and bars to fully enjoy Kanazawa cuisine.
The tour also features visiting streetscapes with samurai residences, offering an experience like traveling back in time. Additionally, you can experience kiki-sake (sake tasting) where you can sample distinctive Japanese sake, which is irresistible for sake lovers.
Since you can taste dishes that guides confidently recommend, this tour is recommended for those who want to fully enjoy Kanazawa's delicious cuisine. I also participated in this tour and was able to thoroughly enjoy Kanazawa's exquisite cuisine and interactions with other tour participants.
Meeting Point: In front of Kohrinbo Lab Building
Tour Area: Kanazawa Kohrinbo
Start Time: 18:00
