Osaka, a major city in Japan, received a surprising gift when an anonymous donor gave gold bars weighing a total of 21 kilograms, valued at about $3.6 million USD, to help upgrade its deteriorating water system.
The news caused a stir in Japan when Osaka Mayor Hideyuki Yokoyama held a startling press conference announcing that the city had received the gold bars since November last year from an anonymous donor who wished the funds to be used to repair Osaka’s aging water system.
Information from the Osaka City Waterworks Department stated that in fiscal year 2024, there were over 90 incidents of underground water pipe leaks beneath the roads, raising concerns about safety and infrastructure in Osaka. Located in the Kansai region, Osaka is an important economic city with nearly 3 million residents, ranking as Japan’s third-largest city. However, its water and drainage pipes are facing aging problems from long-term use, similar to many other cities nationwide.
Mayor Yokoyama said addressing the old water pipe issues requires a huge budget. He added that this donation was so astonishingly large it left him almost speechless. Previously, the same donor had contributed 500,000 yen in cash to support the municipal waterworks.
Local media report that over 20% of water pipes across Japan have exceeded the legally defined service life of 40 years, increasing the risk of pipe bursts, subsidence, and sinkholes in many areas.
Last year, a large sinkhole in Saitama Prefecture swallowed an entire truck, resulting in the driver’s death. It is believed to have been caused by a broken underground drainage pipe.
This incident prompted Japanese authorities to accelerate plans to replace corroded water and drainage pipes nationwide. However, budget constraints remain a major obstacle to these projects.
The Osaka Waterworks Department stated in a press release that the donated gold will be used to maximize benefits, especially in repair and replacement projects for the aging water pipes.
,BBC
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