Y10 mil 'for Tohoku' left in bag in Saitama municipal bldg restroom

It's lucky for the donor that the money was found by an honest worker. I wonder how many people (including myself) would have been tempted to keep the money.

Now that the Japanese Red Cross already has spend some money on TV sets, where will this money finally go?

It will never leave the Japan Red Cross so he might as well flushed it down the toilet.

Now that the Japanese Red Cross already has spend some money on TV sets, where will this money finally go?

Hopefully on the DVD player that sadly didn't come with the LED TV us Tohoku mob received! ;-)

Respect to the honest worker and the (likely) elderly donor. Nice to know there are still some good people out there.

Brainiac - yeah, hats off to the honest worker for turning the cash in. Although it could actually have been 100 million yen in there...

i dont get why it should be given to the Japanese Red Cross, the note clearly says that it should be given to the people of the tohoku... if Japanese Red Cross will do what the note says then it should be given to them

I would have kept it. In fact, i dream of such a day.

To the donor I would say thankyou very much for your very thoughtfull donation and I hope your life takes a turn around for the better. The letter the donor left clearly states the purpose of the cash so it cannot be treated as lost property and should be forwarded to whatever organisation will make the best use of it to benefit the people of Tohuko

@Borat: Yeah but then the donator will definitely say it when the money that has been found is less than donated no? ;)

This was a good thing to do, but the "I’m all alone and don’t have a future" part worries me.

I hope this person isn't contemplating suicide... and if they are then I hope that any open praise of their generosity will change their mind.

What a sensational thing to do. Human generosity at it's grandest. I salute you sir/madam.

"It will never leave the Japan Red Cross"

Within a week of 3/11, I made a contribution to the Japanese Red Cross. Since then, from the things I've read, I'm afraid the bulk, or perhaps all of my contribution never made it to Tohoku.

naruhodo1 - Ha ha ha! Thanks for the laugh! In my case, if I had found it, probably, no, for sure I would have been so tempted to keep it, but probably I would have turned it in and hope no one claims it in 3 months and then I could pay off some unexpected bills and make a sizeable contribution to some organizations that I know for sure are helping out in Tohoku.

What a kind heart.

“I’m all alone and don’t have a future, so please send the money to people in Tohoku.”

very disturbing part....may god bless this unhappy soul.

Good on the person donated and the worker who found it. Here's hoping the money does some good (for its intended purpose).

@some14some

may god bless this unhappy soul.

Having given away that much money for a good cause, this person is now happier than many of us.

"naruhodo1SEP. 29, 2011 - 05:10PM JST I would have kept it. In fact, i dream of such a day."

Oh, Naru, you would not have.

The point is, he dont want the money... he dont even know someone who need it.... thats cool...

"Having given away that much money for a good cause, this person is happier than many of us"

Shut up, ha ha ha!

The note, handwritten in black, said: “I’m all alone and don’t have a future, so please send the money to people in Tohoku.”

That's a scary sentiment that this person feels that they don't have a tomorrow. It's good to donate what you can and this person must be going through something serious. I hope he has a LONG Life, everyday is a new day with possibilities.

<>@zichi

The law has been changed effective Dec 10, 2007. It's 3 months now rather than 6 months.

Metropolitan Police Department http://www.keishicho.metro.tokyo.jp/kouhoushi/no4/welcome/kaisei.htm

So, if I understand correctly the money will sit in Saitama for three months, then go to Japanese Red Cross where it will spend another few months, then it will be transferred to prefectural committees who at some point in unspecified future will be spent on not necessarily the victims themselves. Hmm. It would be more efficient to hire an airplane and just drop yen from the sky.

But sadly, none of the donations have reached victims and survivors but that isn't the fault of the JRC.

zichi, as always you are a mine of information - thanks.

However, the Japan Red Cross must surely carry some clout. If donations are not reaching victims, they need to be kicking over chairs or something and demanding to know why or forcing changes. Whether it's their fault or not, they are WAY down my list of organizations to donate to now.

Beautiful gesture! And extra nice that the person who found it was honest enough report it. If only the government and the Red Cross were as trustworthy...

Millions of dollars have already been turned in by people who were cleaning up after the tidal wave that struck Japan and most of it has been returned to its owners. Honor is part of the Japanese way of life. Thank you Japan for teaching the world a lesson on being human.

Well anyway, Sakoda city held discussions with the police and police have decided not to treat this as a lost and found case (since there was a note). So the 3 month rule does not have to apply, so it's all up to the city of Sakoda now.

It will all go to the Japanese Red Cross.

And the survivors HAVE received donated money, or at least the result of that money, in the form of the temporary housing and associated appliances that were purchased. Donated money was used to pay for some of that construction and purchasing.

I get that its a kind gesture and all but whoever left the money should have thought it out a bit more. Giving it to them directly...without trying to be Mr.Anonymous..would get rid of this whole wait 3 months BS.

This story reminds me a story of Christmas Carol. A very heart warming story while the society is filled with selfish, sour and stingy "Scrooge" everywhere.

Thank you for the generousity and kindness for these Tohoku people.

It sounds form the note like the donor has already committed, or soon will commit, suicide.

I hope this isn't the case.

I hope the money will be used for the people.

That money Should really go to hands of Effected people in Tohoku.

Can someone more familiar with Japanese culture explain to me why someone would leave a donation like this in a public place rather than actually taking it directly to the Red Cross?

If Ruth Benedict is right that Japan should be considered a shame culture, then, one of the characteristics of embarrassment, and perhaps shame is that one feels it when one does something conspiciously good as well as bad. If a child is singled out in class as having written a particularly good essay then she will feel embarassment/shame. Embarrassment and shame arouse when one stands out and behave in a way which confounds peoples expectations. As Tamarama says, the gift was a sensational thing to do, and as such perhaps quite shameful had the donation not been anonymous.

Altenatively, it may be argued that the Japanese believe in something like 'enlightened self interest' or 'interdependence' wherein it is believed that if people give to those that they care for, if in a sense they give to themselves, for their own happiness then the world will be a happy place. In this world view there is no need to act upon principle, or some high-flown altruism, merely out of love for those around you, in whom you see yourself. Indeed, under this view there is perhaps no such thing as altruism, or principle, it is perhaps seen as being self love under another guise. Under this world-view, if such exists, the donor would have been thought of as someone who wanted a lot of attention had their donation not-been anonymous.

Alternatively again, perhaps the money was to varying degrees 'black' -- perhaps an un-banked inheritance with tax unpaid for instance.

All the above sound rather negative but I am a fan of the donor, and Japan. Japan is about the only place where the donor could expect the finder to turn the money in. Wow.

Another interpretation...The donor says that he or she is alone. Perhaps that person has family members who do not pay the donor much attention inspite of the cultural norms which might have encouraged them to do so. Lacking in filial piety or not, those family members would receive about half of the money as inheritance upon the donors death. The donor might not want to leave money to his estranged relatives, but at the same time he might not want to be actively disliked by the same relatives who might feel they are being deprived of their inheritance.

These in an attempt to answer the_harper.

It might lead to another "Tiger Mask" Phenomenon... $$$(^0^)/$$$

The donor says that he or she is alone. Perhaps that person has family members who do not pay the donor much attention... those family members would receive about half of the money as inheritance upon the donors death. The donor might not want to leave money to his estranged relatives, but at the same time he might not want to be actively disliked by the same relatives who might feel they are being deprived of their inheritance.

I think what timtak says is pretty good interpretation. A lot of rich old people just do not want to give his/her money to their family, rather they just donate the money to some people who really need. To add to timtak interpretation, I thought just donating 1 million yen to Red Cross is boring. It would be like "Wow! This person is rich!" That's it!!! But leaving the money in the restroom with a mysterious note would be on the news, wide-show, internet... everywhere. Remember "Tiger Mask" thing? One person started donating school bags to orphan home without revealing who he/she was. And it lead to many others to do the same thing. This person might be reading JT comments right now and laughing. Thank you sir/mam :)

Maybe this person cannot prove the origin of the funds (if it was acquired doing illegal or non declared work), so a "real" donation would raise suspicion to the tax administration. (just an hypothesis). Anyway, let's hope that this money will help some families.

I has to be dirty or dodgy money. Why else would it have been just dropped off like that.

Wow could have bought a lot of new iPads for friends and foe

Congrats! may this guy's tribe increase. You seldom find a good and honest man by this time .you have done it man. To the old man who left the huge sum of money. God bless your soul! you are one of a kind in this universe.Banzai nippon!

"In other news, the Japanese Red Cross has stated that the money (less administration costs) will be used to construct a new multipurpose disaster awareness hall honoring the victims of the March 11th disaster."

don't you find it odd that the money will be sitting for 3 months until its cleared of claims "The Sakado city council has decided to give the money to the Japanese Red Cross if no one claims it within three months", yet the money itself is not considered lost "Sakado city officials reported the matter to police who said that the money could not be treated as lost property since it was obviously left in the restroom on purpose"; if this money cannot be claimed by anyone since its not treated as lost property, why does it have to clear claims? if they're waiting for someone to claim it, i'll gladly take it off their hands.