Founded in 1975 by Kuniko Asano, who recognized the untapped potential of gold leaf, a previously overlooked material. She cultivated it into a regional brand known as "Kanazawa Gold Leaf" and pioneered the creation of "Kanazawa Gold Leaf Craftsmanship". 

The company was named "Hakuichi", which means "the first" in Japanese, symbolizing their leadership in the gold leaf industry in Kanazawa. The word "ichi" translates to "first" in English.