Japanese Tsunami Victims of Ishinomaki Receive $250,000 Mystery Gift of Gold

By Geetha Pillai | February 16, 2013 7:31 PM EST

Japanese city receives mystery parcel of gold

A Japanese port city devastated by the 2011 tsunami has received an anonymous parcel containing two 1 kilogram gold ingots ahead of the second anniversary of the tragedy, according to an AFP report.

The heavy parcel containing gold worth over $250,000 (£161,144; €187,037) was received one week ago by the president of the Ishinomaki Fish Market Co. Ltd, which operates the port in the northeastern city of Ishinomaki.

"I was stunned because what's in there was 24k gold in two ingots. One was wrapped in brown paper and the other in a page taken from a magazine - both were sitting in bubble sheets," Kunio Sunow, president of the company told the AFP. He said the parcel was labelled 'miscellaneous goods'.

"Just looking at 24k gold can encourage people as it has a presence. It's great to know we haven't been forgotten".

Similar incidents have been reported across the region, which was devastated by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake in 2011. Nearly 3,000 people died in Ishinomaki. According to media reports, at least two non-profit organisations in the city have received gifts of gold.

The phenomenon has prompted Japan's Asahi newspaper to proclaim a "goodwill gold rush", the AFP reported.
To see the devastating 2011 tsunami strike Ishinomaki on YouTube, click on the video but here are some video clips of the tragedy: