To experience gold leaf application, I visited Gold Leaf Sakuda’s main store located near Higashi Chaya District, which is a famous tourist destination in Kanazawa. First, go to the reception and choose an item you want to work on from a variety of items, such as chopsticks, round plates, and handy mirrors. If the item comes in different colors, you can choose a color you like. The most popular one is chopsticks, according to the store. I chose a small red box because the goldfish silhouette looked so cute.

Next, you will be guided to the workshop room. There is a wide variety of molds, such as rabbits and moons, so choose the ones you want to use for your design. Unfortunately, they did not have the mold of a beckoning cat, which appears on our website, so I chose the silhouette of the back of a cat and a cherry blossom. If you want to, you may create your own design instead of using the molds they have. Some people create a design featuring their favorite character. Once you decide on your design, let’s draw a rough draft using the molds you chose.

Once your rough draft is done, cut out the design from the masking tape.

After cutting out the design, carefully remove the masking tape and place it onto the lid of the small box. After that, a staff member will apply adhesive on the area where gold leaf will be applied. After the adhesive is applied, let it sit for about eight minutes.

Now, it’s time for the gold leaf. Apply gold leaf while watching out for wind and your breath. Once firmly applied, brush off excess gold leaf and touch up the areas that need more gold leaf. The silhouette already emerges at this point, and it is truly beautiful. For the final step, peel off the masking tape, and voila, a one-of-a-kind small box.

The gold leaf application experience is always packed, so make sure to make a reservation in advance. Also, on the 1st floor of Gold Leaf Sakuda’s main store, you can purchase tableware and cosmetic products made with gold leaf, and its 2nd floor is used as a gallery. You should also check out its restrooms on the 2nd floor, as the walls in the men’s restroom are fully wrapped in platinum leaf and those of the women’s restroom are wrapped in gold leaf. Let’s enjoy Japanese craft making with your own hands and bring home a wonderful memory.

The gallery and the gold leaf-wrapped restroom on the 2nd floor.

■DATA Gold Leaf Sakuda Main Store Address: 1-3-27 Higashiyama, Kanazawa-shi, Ishikawa-ken 920-0831 Operating hours: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. (Vary by season) Workshop schedule: 1st session from 9 a.m., 2nd session from 10:30 a.m., 3rd session from 1 p.m., 4th session from 3 p.m. Fee: ¥800 – ¥6,000 (Varies by item) Time required: About 60 minutes Capacity: 50 people per session (30 people on Sundays and holidays) *Consult with the store if your group exceeds the capacity. Bonus: A ticket that gives you 10% off your purchase at the store. *Valid at the main store and the Machiya store only on the day of the session. *Cannot be used on certain products.

(Information as of April 2024)

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