The village of Tanohata, Iwate Prefecture said Wednesday it received a donation of 120 gold bars worth 500 million from a person who requested anonymity.
The donor's hometown, which is also being withheld according to their wishes, has also asked the local government to use the bars for the benefit of the village.
The gold bars weighing 60 kilograms in total were converted into cash amounting to 528.24 million, and the entire amount was placed in the village's fiscal adjustment fund.
The village has a population of about 3,000 and an initial budget of 3.38 billion in terms of general accounts for this fiscal year. The 528.24 million windfall is equivalent to about one-sixth of that amount.
The person offered a donation to Mayor Yasushi Sasaki during a meeting they had last year. The village received gold bars on January 30 and cashed them in a precious metals shop in Tokyo.
The head of the village's general affairs section, Mitsuyuki Kudo, said the gold bars were in a noble, subdued color. They were heavy. We are grateful for the donation in these difficult financial circumstances. We would like to use the contribution carefully to solve the village's problems.