Osaka Receives $3.6m Gold Donation for Water Repairs
The Japanese city of Osaka has received an unusual multi-million-dollar donation to help overhaul its ageing water infrastructure: 21 kilograms of gold bars.
The gift, valued at about 560 million yen ($3.6m), was made last November by a donor who has chosen to remain anonymous, Mayor Hideyuki Yokoyama said at a news conference on Thursday.
City officials said the donation would be directed toward repairing deteriorating water and sewage pipes, a growing challenge for Osaka, which is home to nearly three million people and is Japan’s third-largest city.
Osaka recorded more than 90 cases of underground water pipe leaks during the 2024 fiscal year, according to its waterworks bureau, highlighting mounting risks linked to ageing infrastructure.
“Tackling ageing water pipes requires enormous investment,” Yokoyama said, describing the gold donation as “staggering” and adding that he was “lost for words” at the scale of the gift.
The mayor also revealed that the same donor had previously contributed 500,000 yen in cash to support municipal water services.
In a statement, the city’s waterworks bureau said it was deeply grateful and confirmed the funds would be used to address pipe deterioration and related safety concerns.
Across Japan, infrastructure renewal has become an urgent issue. Local media report that more than 20% of the country’s water pipes have exceeded their legal service life of 40 years. Ageing sewage systems have also been linked to a rise in sinkholes.
Last year, a large sinkhole in Saitama Prefecture swallowed a truck cab and killed its driver, an incident authorities believe was caused by a ruptured sewage pipe. The case intensified calls for nationwide pipe replacement, though progress has been slowed by budget constraints.
Osaka officials said the gold donation would provide a rare boost to efforts that many local governments are struggling to fund.
