Osaka usually appears in rankings as one of the most powerful cities in Japan outside of Tokyo. Without going any further, the “power cities” ranking of 2025 once again placed it in the lead among the country’s large cities excluding Tokyo. However, beneath this modern profile lies a much less visible problem: an aging pipeline network that requires million-dollar investments and constant planning. In recent years, the state of these infrastructures has been gaining weight in the public debate, and the country’s third largest city is no exception.
The donation. In November of last year, in the midst of a technical discussion on how to face this renovation, an unexpected gesture came to the municipal body in charge of water. An individual delivered 21 kilos of gold bars with one condition: that it be used entirely to improve deteriorated pipelines. The Mainichi newspaper notes that Mayor Hideyuki Yokoyama explained at a press conference that the complex is valued at 560 million yen, around 3 million euros. “Repairing old water pipes requires a large investment. For that reason, I only have gratitude,” he said when thanking the donation, and confirmed that the City Council will respect that wish.
We know (almost) nothing about the donor. Beyond the value of the gold and its destination, the identity of the person who made the donation remains unknown. The mayor explained that the person asked to remain anonymous and no information has been provided about his profile or origin. It has been made public that this is not an isolated gesture: previously he had already contributed 500,000 yen (about 2,700 euros) in cash for the water system.
The actual invoice. When the official figures are analyzed, the scope of the donation takes on another dimension. As he explained to the Associated Press Eiji Kotani, head of the municipal water service, Osaka needs to renew a total of 259 kilometers of pipes. Replacing a section of just 2 kilometers represents an approximate cost of 500 million yen (about 2.7 million euros), an amount close to the full value of the ingots. In addition, it has been announced that leaks under the roads have increased in recent times.
The problem is not limited to Osaka. Much of Japan’s public infrastructure was built during the rapid economic growth of the 1960s and 1970s, and today many of those networks are undergoing major renovations. BBC notes that More than 20% of the country’s water pipes have exceeded 40 years, which is the legal useful life.
a real problem. That debate stopped being abstract at the end of January 2025, when a huge sinkhole opened on a road in Yashioin Saitama prefecture. The collapse engulfed a truck and triggered a complex rescue operation as teams tried to access the cabin where the 74-year-old driver was. Sewer system officials said corrosion of a pipe could have created a cavity under the asphalt and caused it to collapse. As we can see, the donation can help boost the renovation of the pipes, but it is far from solving the entire problem.
Images | Jingming Pan | Juliana Barquero
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