Hakuichi Higashiyama

Kanazawa produces over 99 percent of Japan's gold leaf, and Hakuichi is the city's best-known specialist. The Higashiyama shop, in the historic geisha quarter near the tea houses, is famous for its Gold Leaf Soft Serve, an ice cream cone draped in a full sheet of 24-karat gold. The gold adds no flavor, but eating something that shimmers against the backdrop of the old district makes for a memorable few minutes. Inside, the shop stocks gold-leaf cosmetics, tableware, and lacquerware accessories. Workshops where you apply gold leaf to your own small piece are also available here.