BBC Reports On Mysterious Money Donations In Japan

The BBC has a new article about money appearing in public restrooms and mailboxes across Japan:

In recent weeks more than 400 blank envelopes containing 10,000 yen bills have been left in the gents toilets of local council buildings all across Japan.

Also in the envelope were notes asking that the cash be used for “ascetic training”.

Then, over the last few days, 18 residents of a Tokyo building found a total of 1.81 million yen ($15,210) stuffed into envelopes in their mailboxes.

Their reporter decided to ask for comments from some random Japanese people visiting a temple in Tokyo.

That led one visitor at the temple, who works for a municipality, to one bizarre conclusion.

“It must be a foreigner,” he told us.

“All Japanese would know that the money if unclaimed would be given to the local council, they would know what their countrymen are like too, so nervous about something like this, they would know that trying to give away money like this is a waste of time.”

Personally, If I was a foreigner that came across huge amounts of money like that, I’d probably hold on to it. But who knows, maybe there is a generous non-Japanese out there with a great desire to place cash next to toilets?

[hat tip to Darin]