Anonymous donor gifts 21 kilograms of gold to Osaka to restore water supply system

A Japanese city has received a hefty donation to help fix its ageing water system: 21kg in gold bars, the BBC writes.

The gold bars, worth an estimated $3.6 million, were given last November by a donor who wished to remain anonymous, Osaka Mayor Hideyuki Yokoyama told a press conference on Thursday.

Home to nearly three million people, Osaka is a commercial hub located in Japan’s Kansai region and the country’s third-largest city.

But like many Japanese cities, Osaka’s water and sewage pipes are ageing – a growing cause for safety concern.

The same mystery donor had previously given 500,000 yen (about $3,200) in cash for municipal waterworks, Yokoyama added.

The city’s waterworks bureau said in a statement on Thursday that it was grateful for the gold donation and would put it to good use.

More than 20% of Japan’s water pipes have passed their legal service life of 40 years, according to local media.