News Anonymous donor gives Osaka 21kg of gold for water pipe upgrades

[thomas]

An anonymous donor has given the Osaka municipal government 21 kilograms of gold bullion, valued at 560 million yen ($3.6 million), to support renovations to water pipes, the city said Thursday. The waterworks bureau described the contribution as unprecedented for a project involving the water system. Osaka faces mounting costs as it replaces ageing pipes across the city. Mayor Hideyuki Yokoyama told a press conference he was deeply appreciative, noting that the work requires substantial funding.

Aging water mains and sewage pipes have become a major concern among municipalities across Japan, particularly after a fatal sinkhole incident last year in Yashio, Saitama Prefecture, near Tokyo. In the incident, a truck and its driver were swallowed by a large, expanding sinkhole that opened up after a sewer pipe collapsed under an intersection. Much of the water piping in Osaka dates back to the postwar era, during which Japan registered rapid economic growth. According to the waterworks bureau, it had 92 cases of water leaks under roads in the one-year span through March 2025.

Anonymous donor gives Osaka 21 kg of gold to fund water pipe renovations - The Mainichi

OSAKA (Kyodo) -- An anonymous donor has given the Osaka municipal government 21 kilograms of gold bullion, worth 560 million yen ($3.6 million), towar

mainichi.jp

 

[dracuella]

I'm invested, I need to know how they received this anonymous donation. 21kg is a LOT - did they trust it with a courier service or something? I can't imagine them just walking into the town hall and dumping it with the nearest clerk.

 

[thomas]

I was wondering the same thing! I'm quite sure the municipality knows their identity, but honours their request to remain anonymous.

 

[dracuella]

I was wondering the same thing! I'm quite sure the municipality knows their identity, but honours their request to remain anonymous.

Ah of course, this makes perfect sense. I should have thought about that.

 

[Ukigumo]

I heard the donor was dressed in a 'Deadpool' suit when she delivered the donation I'm not lying. I never lie