Gold leaf has a long history and dates back to the end of the seventh century. Today, about 98 to 99% is produced in Kanazawa (in the Ishikawa Prefecture). To make gold leaf, professionals hammer gold into a thin sheet that is about 1/10,000 millimeters thick.
Other than just repairing cultural assets and traditional crafts, people can use gold leaf in a variety of ways. Including cosmetics and food consumption. While the price can vary depending on the seller, those commercialized for food cost about $1,000 yen for 0.05 grams.
In Kanazawa, sponge cakes and other dishes with gold leaf on top are popular among tourists. Because it makes food look gorgeous, it’s recommended for those who want to add a luxurious touch to their dishes.
Since 1996, Japanese-Online has been provided as a free service from PSPinc with the purpose of providing resources to individuals interested in learning about the Japanese Language and culture.
Japanese-Online has content suited to varying levels of study, including lessons for beginners as well as lessons tailored for those who need grammar and writing resources. Lessons are best suited to those who have basic understanding of hiragana and katakana alphabets before moving on to the more advanced grammar and particle lessons. Grammar lessons focus on learning about writing and creating more complex sentences and most lessons will not use romaji (Japanese sounds written with roman letters). Kanji is used in the lessons with hiragana and English translations provided.