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Dublin: 9 °C Thursday 20 June, 2013

Japan: Anonymous donor leaves 10 million yen in public bathroom

The cash, which was accompanied by an unsigned note, was donated to tsunami disaster victims – but concerns have been raised about the donor, who wrote they had “no future”.

A bank clerk counts Japanese Yen banknotes over RMB (renminbi) yuan banknotes.
A bank clerk counts Japanese Yen banknotes over RMB (renminbi) yuan banknotes.
Image: Xie zhengyi/AP/Press Association Images

AN ANONYMOUS DONOR has left a bag containing 10 million yen (€95,000) in cash in a public bathroom in Japan, accompanied by a note which says that the money is to go to some of the victims of the recent tsunami and earthquake.

The plastic bag filled with 10,000-yen notes was discovered in a bathroom of a city hall office in Sakado, Saitama Prefecture, with instructions that it be used to help the people of Tohoku.

Some 20,000 people died in Japan as a result of March’s triple-disaster, which saw a 9.0 magnitude earthquake, tsunami and nuclear emergency devastate the country.

AFP quotes a city official who said that the money would be kept for three months and then donated to the Red Cross if no-one came forth to claim it.

While officials said that they were thankful for “such kindness”, concerns have been raised about the person who left the money, as the note that accompanied the bag read: “I’m all alone. I have no future, so let the people in Tohoku use it”.

Sakado Mayor Hitoshi Iri said: “I’m moved by the valuable offer made by a citizen. I hope that the donation will help the reconstruction in Tohoku,” reports Russia Today.

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