Tokyo — The Japanese city of Osaka has received an extraordinary donation of 21 kilograms (about 46 pounds) of gold, valued at approximately ¥566 million (around $3.8 million), to support repairs to its aging water infrastructure, city officials announced Thursday.
The donation was made in November by an anonymous individual, according to Osaka Mayor Hideyuki Yokoyama. The same donor had contributed ¥500,000 in cash to the municipal waterworks just a month earlier.
“It’s an absolutely staggering amount,” Yokoyama told reporters at a press conference. “I was shocked and at a loss for words when I learned about it.”
City officials said the donor requested anonymity.
Osaka, home to roughly 2.8 million residents and considered Japan’s commercial hub, has been struggling to finance the replacement of aging water pipes. Local media reports indicate that renovation costs have exceeded the city’s original budget, creating funding gaps for critical maintenance projects.
The city plans to convert the gold donation into funds that will be used directly for water system repairs, officials said. The unexpected contribution is expected to ease financial pressure on the municipal waterworks and help accelerate long-delayed infrastructure upgrades.
Such large-scale private donations to public utilities are rare in Japan, making the gift all the more remarkable, city officials added.