OSAKA (TR) – A mystery donor has sent 21 kilograms of gold bars — worth more than 500 million yen — to the Osaka City government for the purpose of public works improvement, reports the Asahi Shimbun (Feb. 19).
According to the city, the donation was made last November. The donor of the gold declined to have they name made public or to be presented with a mayor’s letter of appreciation.
The donor decided to donate to the Osaka City Water Bureau after seeing the news of an accident in April last year in which an aging water pipe in central Kyoto broke, flooding National Route 1.
“I don’t want to make a big deal out of it,” the donor said. “I hope the gold would be used to address the aging of water pipes.”
In addition to the gold, valued at 566.54 million yen, the donor also sent 500,000 yen in cash.
“It’s such an incredible amount, I’m at a loss for words,” said Osaka City mayor Hideyuki Yokoyama. “Addressing aging water pipes is a huge investment, and I can only express my gratitude for the donation with this concern in mind.”
The city has announced its intention to accelerate the replacement of aging water pipes, but has also predicted that project costs will increase.
