Osaka, anonymous donor gives the Waterworks Bureau 21 kilos of gold: 'Rebuild the pipelines'

 Osaka has received a hefty donation of golden lingots worth 560 million yen (approximately 2.85 - 2.90 million euro) from an anonymous donor who asked for their specific use: to repair the Japanese city's dilapidated water pipes.

The gold bars, with a total weight of 21 kilograms, were donated to the Osaka City Waterworks Bureau in November by a donor wishing to help improve old water pipes, the mayor of the Japanese metropolis Hideyuki Yokoyama told reporters on Thursday.

"It is a staggering amount and I was speechless," Yokoyama said. "Tackling the problem of the old water pipes requires a huge investment and I can only thank him for the donation." The mayor said that his city will respect the wishes of the donor and use the donation to improve water projects.

Concern over the safety of Osaka's water systems has grown after a huge sinkhole swallowed a truck and killed its driver last year. Osaka recorded 92 cases of water leaks from pipes under city streets in the fiscal year ending March 2025, said the city's waterworks official, Eiji Kotani.

With a population of 2.8 million, Osaka is the third largest city in the country and serves as the capital of western Japan. Most of Japan's major public infrastructure was built during the rapid post-war economic growth.