What Is Kinsai? Kyoto's Gold-Leaf Kimono Craft and NOB MIYAKE

Kinsai (金彩, literally "gold color") is a Japanese technique for decorating kimono fabric: gold leaf, gold powder and colored leaf are fixed to the cloth to draw or outline patterns. In Kyoto it has long been one of the finishing stages for dyed kimono such as yuzen.

NOB MIYAKE is the brand of Nobuki Miyake (三宅誠己), a certified traditional craftsman of kinsai who has been hand-painting Japanese bridal kimono in Kyoto for more than 37 years. He has turned those kimono techniques into bangles, bags and other small pieces. This article explains the basics of the craft and shows how it appears in his work.

In kinsai, the craftsman lays an adhesive paste on dyed kimono fabric and then applies gold leaf or gold powder over it to bring out a pattern. The gold might trace the outline of a yuzen design or add a field of shimmer. Bridal kimono such as the uchikake, the richly decorated outer robe worn over the wedding kimono, are among the garments where kinsai matters most.

The product pages for NOB MIYAKE mention these materials and techniques:

• Gold and silver leaf: metal beaten extremely thin, selected from across Japan
• Colored leaf: leaf in traditional Japanese colors used in kimono-making, including some that are hard to obtain
• Gold powder: used, for example, on silk pocket squares
• Kirimawashi: gold leaf torn into rough pieces
• Oshi-haku (pressed leaf): the technique used to finish a tie pin and cufflink set with "diamond" leaf

Raden is mother-of-pearl inlay: the iridescent inner layer of a shell is shaved thin and set onto a surface to form a pattern. Nobuki Miyake has his own method of applying raden to kimono, and he has carried it over into accessories.

For his pieces, the inner part of natural abalone shell is carved out and softened with a special process before being applied as raden. Some shell is dyed a cherry-blossom pink. An auspicious pattern (kisshō mon'yō, a traditional motif that carries wishes for good fortune) is then painted on top in gold leaf. The shell changes color as the light moves, and the fine gold line over it gives a look quite different from kinsai on silk.

Nobuki Miyake is a certified traditional craftsman of kinsai who has been hand-painting Japanese bridal kimono (uchikake) in Kyoto for more than 37 years. While carrying on crafts such as kinsai and raden, he blends in his own techniques to create original work. His pieces are made in a workshop in the city of Kyoto, and the shop is run by Miyake Kogei Co., Ltd. (三宅工芸株式会社).

The shop page says he "has refined his kimono-making techniques to create a variety of items." The description of one bangle says its colors adapt the palettes of yuzen dyeing and kinsai he developed through kimono work, so even the color choices come from the kimono studio.

In general, the title of certified traditional craftsman (dentō kōgeishi) is given in Japan to artisans with long experience in a nationally designated traditional craft who pass an examination.

These unisex bangles measure 6.7 × 5.2 cm with a 3 cm opening and weigh 13 g. Raden and leaf are layered on a stainless steel base in his own designs.

• Sakura-pink raden: silver and pink; also uses kirimawashi gold
• Black raden: silver; gold, silver and colored leaf in yuzen and kinsai color schemes
• New Zealand black raden: silver and gold

The product pages say they ship within up to 7 days of ordering.

The pochette is made of cotton dyed with cherry trees from Mount Yoshino in Nara, decorated with kinsai and raden. According to the product page, the dye comes from branches cut during pruning, which is done to help the trees bloom. The shell is dyed pink too, so fabric and inlay share the same color. It measures 20 × 15.5 × 2 cm.

A bag hanger hooks over the edge of a table so your bag does not sit on the floor. The sakura-pink kinsai hanger has an auspicious pattern over traditional-color leaf; the New Zealand abalone hanger has the pattern over raden. Each is 4.5 cm across and 0.8 cm thick (7.5 cm when opened), weighs 45 g, holds 2 to 3 kg and fits tables less than 4.5 cm thick.

ITOSHIO does not ship directly to addresses outside Japan. To order from abroad, use Buyee, a proxy shopping service: open the product page and use the Buyee button on the page to start your order. International shipping, fees and any customs duties are shown on Buyee's screens, and Buyee's guidance tells you which countries and items it can ship.

Prices in this article are in Japanese yen including Japanese consumption tax, as of October 2026; the amount shown on Buyee will vary with exchange rates and fees. If you have a delivery address in Japan, you can switch to a domestic order from the product page ("I have a delivery address in Japan").

Step by step: How to buy from ITOSHIO overseas with Buyee. Buyee's site: Buyee

Kinsai fixes gold leaf or gold powder to fabric with paste to draw patterns; raden uses the shimmering inner layer of shell. NOB MIYAKE's kinsai raden pieces layer a kinsai pattern over raden.

The product pages give no care instructions. As a general rule, do not rub the leaf or shell hard, keep water, sweat and perfume off them, and store them apart from other metal items. Follow any notes that come with your piece.

Each piece is made by hand, so the pattern may differ slightly, and screen colors may vary. Apart from defective items, the shop generally does not accept returns.

The maker's page: NOB MIYAKE

Further reading

• Raden Hair Clips: Choosing a Japanese Mother-of-Pearl Barrette from Kyoto
• Japanese Gifts for Men: Kyoto Gold-Leaf Tie Pins and Silk Pocket Squares
• Japanese Handmade Gifts: Artisan Pieces You Can Order From Abroad