Osaka stunned by anonymous gift of $3.6m in gold to fix ageing water pipes

2026-02-20 - 12:33

Concern over safety of Japanese city’s waterworks grew after sinkhole swallowed truck and killed driver last year Osaka has received a hefty gift of gold bars worth 560m yen ($3.6m) from an anonymous donor and a request for its specific use: to fix the Japanese city’s dilapidated water pipes. The gold bars, weighing a total of 21kg (46lb), were given to the Osaka City Waterworks Bureau in November by the donor who wants to help improve ageing water pipes, Mayor Hideyuki Yokoyama told reporters on Thursday. Continue reading...