Nara resident donates gold worth 330m yen to municipality for disaster relief

That's what I call generosity: The municipal government announced on 6 June that it had received a donation of 20 kilograms of gold—valued at approximately 330 million yen (around $2.28 million)—from a local man in his 70s, who had requested that the funds be used to enhance evacuation shelters for disaster situations.



City officials said the donor had contacted Sakurai Mayor Masatake Matsui by letter in early February to express his intention to contribute gold bars. They noted that the donation was finalised on 17 March and that the city had presented the man with a formal letter of appreciation on 28 March. Mayor Matsui expressed his gratitude for the generous gift, stating that the city was deeply grateful and would ensure the donation was utilised effectively.

The donated gold consisted of 20, 1-kilogram ingots. The donor reportedly accumulated the bars over many years, little by little. He decided to donate the bars to his city after learning that evacuees struggled with inadequate toilet facilities following the 1 January 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake. He expressed hope that the funds would help create a better environment at evacuation shelters for elderly residents and people with disabilities.

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