Man Anonymously Donates $550,000, His Life Savings, To Japanese City
An official said, "We found 60 million yen ($550,850) in cash inside and a letter saying 'This is the money I've been saving since the first grade. It's a donation."
An elderly Japanese man has anonymously donated his life's savings -- in cash -- to a city outside of Tokyo, an unexpected financial windfall as the economy reels from the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.
The man, who did not identify himself, appeared at city hall in Yokosuka on Monday and asked that a backpack with a letter inside be given to the mayor, the official who met him told AFP.
"We found 60 million yen ($550,850) in cash inside and a letter saying 'This is the money I've been saving since the first grade. Please make use of it. It's a donation,'" said the official.
The man appeared to be in his 70s or 80s and declined to give his name, saying he wanted to stay anonymous.
"We've never received such a big donation from an anonymous person," the official added.
Mayor Katsuaki Kamiji said in a statement he was "surprised and moved" by the donation, particularly during the hardship of the pandemic.
"I'm speechless and full of gratitude," he said.
Japan is no stranger to anonymous donors.
Last year, a man appeared at the Nara city hall with a bag filled with 30 million yen in cash. He left a note inside saying he wanted the money to be used to help the poor and fund education, according to local media.
And elsewhere last year, a hospital in Kobe received five million yen in cash sent by mail by an anonymous donor.
The man, who did not identify himself, appeared at city hall in Yokosuka on Monday and asked that a backpack with a letter inside be given to the mayor, the official who met him told AFP.
"We found 60 million yen ($550,850) in cash inside and a letter saying 'This is the money I've been saving since the first grade. Please make use of it. It's a donation,'" said the official.
The man appeared to be in his 70s or 80s and declined to give his name, saying he wanted to stay anonymous.
"We've never received such a big donation from an anonymous person," the official added.
Mayor Katsuaki Kamiji said in a statement he was "surprised and moved" by the donation, particularly during the hardship of the pandemic.
"I'm speechless and full of gratitude," he said.
Japan is no stranger to anonymous donors.
Last year, a man appeared at the Nara city hall with a bag filled with 30 million yen in cash. He left a note inside saying he wanted the money to be used to help the poor and fund education, according to local media.
And elsewhere last year, a hospital in Kobe received five million yen in cash sent by mail by an anonymous donor.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
