The youthful governor of Japan's Osaka city voiced gratitude Friday for an unexpected present from a woman aged in her 80s -- a backpack stuffed with one million dollars in cash donations.
"I was surprised. I couldn't feel more grateful," Toru Hashimoto told reporters, vowing to make sure the donation was put to good use.
The elderly woman, who asked not to be named, late last month walked into his office and handed over the backpack filled with 100 million yen, said a government official in the western commercial hub.
The woman said she wanted to donate the money for welfare.
"She also said she was a fan of the governor and wanted to support him," the official told AFP by telephone.
Hashimoto, a lawyer-turned-politician who used to frequently appear on television shows, was elected as an independent governor in February 2008 at the age of 38, becoming the youngest head of a Japanese prefecture.
He has since earned popular support for his cost-cutting drive in financially strapped Osaka.
The woman left after a 20-minute chat and having her photo taken with the governor, the official said.
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/18/20090410/tpl-osaka-bags-1mln-cash-from-fan-of-gov-ee974b3.html