Mystery Tohoku donor leaves Y40 million in town hall toilet
AOMORI —
A shopping bag containing 40 million yen has been found in a restroom at city hall in Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture, officials said Saturday.
According to NTV, a janitor found the black shopping bag in a public toilet at around 1:15 p.m. on Thursday. Inside the bag was a letter to the city’s mayor and a bundle of wrapping paper containing 40 million yen in cash.
Hachinohe officials said that the letter read, “I wish to give 10 million yen each to the people of Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures in the hopes that it will help,” NTV reported. The letter was signed “Tohokujin” (Tohoku person).
City officials are currently corresponding with the appropriate authorities in order to carry out the donor’s wishes. One told reporters, “There are some amazing people out there. I’m sure this will really help.”
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24 Comments
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2
mitoguitarman
Wow, lucky the right people found it! What a guy.
5
zichi
¥40 million even in ¥10,000 notes is quite a large package. 4,000 x ¥10,000? Very generous of her/him but I wish these very kind people knew it would be better to give it to NPO's working inside the disaster zone because then more of it would reach the victims.
0
Ranger_Miffy2
Excellent move on the donor's part, although I also agree with Zichi-san.
-5
TimeiClic
What is the point of anonymous donations?
2
seesaw1
2 days ago ¥ 11M was found. Wow. Tohoku is full of money... :)
9
Yubaru
Hey a donation is a donation anonymous or not. There are plenty of Japanese people that hate the spotlight and culturally speaking as well don't or are unaccustomed to sticking out. Thanks to whomever donated the cash.
4
trinklets2
God bless that man whoever he is.
4
Hide Suzuki
Totally agreed, Yubaru
1
pamelot
A donation that doesn't float, or cry...
This is news.
0
Serrano
That's it. From now on I'm going to spend every minute of my free time visiting city office toilets, lol.
2
Serrano
Seriously though, I wish these kind-hearted rich people would please take their contributions to the city office desk clerks instead of leaving them in the toilets. If they want to remain anonymous, they can go to the city office on the other side of town, hand the money to the clerk and just leave.
1
zichi
Before they changed the garbage rules last year or the year before? You could put out large items of furniture, twice a week. Now you have to pay for them to be collected. I was always amazed how many well dressed people in expensive cars would hit those piles of furniture to search them for forgotten cash. There was a time when money was also being found in the garbage which always brought people out.
2
serendipitous
Makes me think there must have been some bags left around by others that weren't turned in.....so I agree it is a bit silly leaving money around where anyone could find it. Are there other anonymous donors who are wondering why the money they left hasn't been reported in the news?
0
Weasel
Isn't there less subtle ways of informing the management that the restroom needs to be cleaned?
1
Bartholomew Harte
That's a lot of medicine,school supplies as well as food & water! That Tohoku-jin,,, What a Guy!!
0
tallgaijin
agree with most of views above - great move by the donor. Hope all the money reaches to the right people who need it most. Good positive news from Japan. Not everything is gloom and doom!!!
0
CrazyJoe
It was the donor's intention that this not be made public. But Hachinohe city made this public contrary to the donor's intention.
0
Christina O'Neill
The honesty of the finder and the genorousity of the donor , absalutely brilliant. I think the people residing in the catastrophe effected Fukushima Prefectures will be very greatfull to their benefactors thoughtfullness. The dnor may not have wanted any publicity, but how else could the Mayor inform the donor that the money had indeed been delivered safely to his office
1
hidflect1
"What is the point of anonymous donations?"
It is only a donation if it IS anonymous. Otherwise it's paid publicity. When Billy Gates III "donates" money to (his own) charity and splashes the news over 400 media publications then it's not charity. It's an Ego Trip. "Hey! Look at me, Everyone! I'm a ****ing HERO!"
1
Serrano
Christina: The honesty of the finder and the generosity of the owner, absolutely brilliant"
Agreed. I am in awe. Hats off to both of them.
1
sensei258
I'd bet it was a Yakuza doing a little payback for favors.
1
sensei258
I apologize for my previous comment and any offense it may have caused.
0
JonathanJo
Wish I was as flush as Tohokujin.
0
Elbuda Mexicano
Well we all know this would not be news in other countries, because the city officials would not let it become news, hmmm....just found loads of cash Jim, ok, Billy lets give away to victims?? My ass! Dude lets go to VEGAS!! Party!! right??
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