Life In Japan: “Please use it for children.”

Three days ago, an anonymous old man rode up on a bicycle to this school and two others in Nara-shi, the largest city in Nara Prefecture. This community is about 30 km (18 miles) directly east of Osaka.

He walked into each school, handed a white bag to a staff member. Inside each bag was 10 million yen — approximately $94,000 — and a note which said: Please use it for children.

The City Board of Education responded: 「いただいた厚意を大切にし、各学校の教育活動に活用させていただきます」

Translation: “We will cherish the kindness we received and utilize it in the educational activities of each school.”

I would love to think that this sort of thing happens in communities all over the world.

Whether that’s true or not, I feel very fortunate living in a country where it does happen.

In fact, this story sounds strikingly similar to something that happened June of last year in this same city, when a man fitting this gentleman’s description went to City Hall and gave the staff a bag also containing 30 million yen, a contribution for three specific causes. The city had recently made a public appeal for donations. In the bag were articles cut out of the newspaper identifying three areas he was donating the money for: support for the poor, improving the education system and the health system.

Amazing, eh?