Kanazawa: Cultural Gold Leaf Art Experience in Higashi Chaya

【OUTLINE】

This is Hakuichi’s cultural experience program set in Kanazawa Shitsurae.
In a 200-year-old teahouse-style building in the Higashi Chaya District, you will try creating gold leaf artwork using the same materials and tools used by professional artisans.
With clear, careful guidance from experienced craftspeople, even first-time participants can create a beautiful traditional craft piece.

【HIGHLIGHTS】

•  Experience a 200-year-old teahouse building
•  Decorate lacquerware using tools used by professional artisans
• Enjoy Kanazawa’s traditional Japanese sweets culture
• Discover authentic traditional crafts inside a historic teahouse

【SCHEDULE】

Choose from two start times: 10:00 or 14:00.

• Arrival and reception
• Introduction to gold leaf and tools
• "Oboro-zuki" Experience: Creating a Hazy Moon with Gold Leaf
• Take a break with matcha and seasonal sweets
• Appreciation of local specialty crafts
• Finish the workshop and take your completed piece home

【DETAILS】

In this cultural experience, you will create an artwork inspired by “Oboro-zuki” (the hazy spring moon) using real gold leaf.
The item you decorate is a wooden vessel made from solid domestic wood. Local artisans shape it using a traditional woodturning technique called Kijibiki, and it is finished with wiping lacquer to highlight the beautiful natural wood grain.
You will apply gold leaf using a Sunago tube, a cylindrical sieve that allows you to sprinkle small pieces of gold leaf onto the surface gently.
“Oboro-zuki” refers to the moon softly veiled by haze on spring nights. While a clear full moon is beautiful, Japanese aesthetics also find beauty in gentleness, ambiguity, and imperfection. In this workshop, finely crushed gold leaf is used to express this soft, blurred moon.
During the workshop break, you will be served matcha and a traditional Japanese sweet. Enjoy a fresh confection from Morihachi, one of Kanazawa’s most renowned Wagashi shops, served in a tea bowl made by Ohi ware.

The venue, Kanazawa Shitsurae, is a Kanazawa City–designated preserved building. It represents typical teahouse architecture, featuring distinctive Kimusuko latticework, Bengara-red exterior walls, and Juraku earthen walls mixed with straw.
The first floor serves as a gallery and shop showcasing high-quality crafts from the Hokuriku region, including Kutani porcelain, Wajima lacquerware, and Kaga Yuzen textiles. Works range from those by Living National Treasures to pieces by promising young artists. After your craft experience, feel free to browse these local masterpieces at your leisure.

【THINGS TO NOTE】

• Duration： Approximately 90 minutes, depending on the number of participants
• Meeting point： Kanazawa Shitsurae (Higashi Chaya District) [MAP]
  1-13-24 Higashiyama, Kanazawa-shi, Ishikawa 920-0831
• Access： Approximately 15 minutes by taxi from Kanazawa Station　
• Minimum number of participants：2 person
• Language support： Japanese, English, Chinese
• Included：
  ・Gold leaf craft experience
  ・Guidance from knowledgeable staff
  ・Materials for creating gold leaf items
  ・Your handmade item to take home
  ・Matcha tea and traditional sweets
• Participation requirements：
  ・Adult supervision and assistance are required if young children are participating.
  ・Please note that the workshop is located on the second floor and is only accessible by stairs (there is no elevator).
  ・The venue is conveniently located near public transportation.
• Free Wi-Fi： Yes
• Toilet： Yes (Western-style)

【CANCELLATION POLICY】

Until 72 hours before the experience start time: 0%

From 72 hours before the experience start time to start time: 100%

Cancellation after the experience has started, or cancellation without contact: 100%