According to a dictionary Kojien,"plating is to cover the surface of materials (mainly metals) with thin layer of foreign metal such as
gold and silver."
"Plating" is utilized to various fields such as personal computers,
automobiles, OA equipments, cameras, portable telephones, and
household appliances, and is indispensable for human life.
Plating has a long history in the Orient. The construction of a gold plated Buddha in the second century was initiated in China. In Japan, the great Buddha of Asukadera Temple built in 609 followed by one of Todaiji Temple in 749 were plated with gold.