Anonymous donor in Japan gifts city 21 kg of gold to fund pipe repairs
A concerned individual in Japan recently gifted the city of Osaka 21 kg worth of gold bullion to help fund pipe repairs.
As reported by Asahi Shimbu, Hideyuki Yokoyama, mayor of Osaka, announced the surprising and staggering donation on Thursday (19 Feb).
While the city would usually honour the donor in a ceremony, they wished to remain anonymous.
Donation comes after reports of leaks
At market value, the bars of gold are approximately worth 566 million yen (S$4.62 million). In addition, the donor also chipped in with 500,00 yen (S$4,080) in cash.
The donations were made on 18 Nov 2025.
The donor decided to make the hefty contribution after seeing reports of multiple pipe leaks throughout the country.
Source: Yomiuri Shimbun
Specifically, the inciting incident appears to be a pipe burst in central Kyoto in April 2025, which led to flooding on Japan National Route 1, a major highway in the country.
With the windfall, the city is now accelerating their pipe maintenance plans. According to Yomiuri Shimbun, the gold bars are worth the equivalent of 2 km of pipes.
In a press conference on 19 Feb, the mayor expressed nothing but gratitude towards the anonymous donor.
“I’m at a loss for words,” he said. “Dealing with ageing water pipes is a major expense for the city, so I can’t help but be grateful.”
Ageing pipe system led to many leaks in 2025
Just earlier this week, an investigation into a 2025 sinkhole in Saitama, Japan, concluded that the incident had been caused by pipe corrosion.
This particular sinkhole made headlines because a 74-year-old truck driver had fallen in, leading to a massive rescue effort. Sadly, his body would only be found and retrieved three months later.
The report stated that the damage could have been anticipated if more attention had been given to pipe corrosion.
Also read: ‘Don’t leave my daughter alone’: Woman who fell into Tanjong Katong sinkhole thought of her daughter
‘Don’t leave my daughter alone’: Woman who fell into Tanjong Katong sinkhole thought of her daughter
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Featured image adapted from Asahi Shimbun and Yomiuri Shimbun.
