A 70-Year-Old Grandmother Donates 1.5 Billion Won to the Zoo Because "Children Like It" [Japanese Side]

70s Woman Donates Legacy to Nagoya Higashiyama Zoo, Gaining Attention
Requests Use "to Make Children Happy" Without Revealing Name
'Jonghwal' Preparing for Final Life Stage... Legacy Donation Culture Spreading

As the year-end and New Year approach, a recent heartwarming story is being shared on social networking services (SNS) in Japan. It is news from Nagoya Higashiyama Zoo. In Korea, pandas like Fubao and red pandas like Reshi and Lemon were once popular. In Japan, chubby red pandas are also very popular among children. It has been reported that this is thanks to the donation of an elderly woman. Today, we share the story of a 70-year-old grandmother from Nagoya, whose name and surname remain undisclosed, who has since passed away.

Recently, on Japan’s X (formerly Twitter), a sign in front of the red panda enclosure at Nagoya Higashiyama Zoo became a hot topic. The sign in front of the enclosure read, "This red panda enclosure was renovated thanks to the donation of the deceased, who wished to bring joy to children."

A sign placed at the red panda enclosure in Higashiyama Zoo, Nagoya, Japan. The sign reads, "This red panda enclosure was renovated thanks to the late donor's wish to contribute to what makes children happy." Higashiyama Zoo.

Following this, Japanese media began investigating the background. Originally, Higashiyama Zoo had stopped keeping red pandas after one died in 1982. However, after efforts to renovate the enclosure and create a better environment for red pandas, the zoo reopened the red panda enclosure to the public with four red pandas after 39 years.

The zoo stated that this was made possible thanks to a donation. All information about the donor, including name and surname, was kept strictly confidential. It was revealed that a 70-year-old grandmother living in Nagoya had expressed her intention to donate her assets to the zoo in her will before passing away in 2016. Thanks to this, the red panda enclosure was rebuilt. The grandmother passed away at the age of 70 after leaving her will. A zoo official told Japanese media, "We understand she had a deep affection for our zoo. That is why she left a will, and we decided to honor her wishes."

The red panda at Higashiyama Zoo in 1982. Higashiyama Zoo.

The deceased’s will stated that since she saw children happy when they visited the zoo, she wanted her money to be used to care for animals that children like. The amount left was 170 million yen, equivalent to about 1.5 billion Korean won. The zoo spent 286 million yen (approximately 2.68 billion Korean won) to create the enclosure suitable for red pandas, using the entire 170 million yen donation. They even made a sign to quietly honor the donor who did not want to be publicly recognized and only wished to donate quietly. This story has recently become a heartwarming year-end tale.

In fact, in Japan, where low birth rates and aging have progressed longer than in Korea, there are cases where there are no children to initiate inheritance procedures, so donations are on the rise. There have been media reports that inheritance paid to the Japanese government due to 'absence of heirs' is increasing every year. According to the Japanese Supreme Court, assets inherited by the government due to absence of heirs increased about 2.3 times from 2013 to 76.8 billion yen (7.2 trillion Korean won) in 2022. Also, many people have distant relationships with legal heirs and do not want to entrust posthumous asset management to them.

Lesser panda at Higashiyama Zoo. Higashiyama Zoo.

Because of this, in Japan, the number of people wanting to make 'legacy donations (遺贈寄付, Izo Kifu)' like the grandmother who donated to the zoo is increasing. This refers to donating to a third party such as a nonprofit foundation, welfare organization, or foundation, rather than to family members. Since the donation is made after death, even those living on pensions do not need to worry during their lifetime. Interest in 'shukatsu (終活),' or how to spend the final stage of life, is high in Japan, so consultations about legacy donations have increased not only among the elderly but also among middle-aged people in their 50s. In 2020, the total amount of legacy donations in Japan reached 39.7 billion yen (about 37.24 billion Korean won).

The zoo has not disclosed additional information about whether the Higashiyama Zoo donor had children, but since this donation, inquiries from people wanting to use their inheritance for children have increased significantly. To properly manage large donations, the zoo has established a 'Life-Connecting Fund' to honor the donor’s wishes. Above all, the meaning of donating inheritance for children who are just beginning their lives while preparing for the end of one’s own life will remain memorable for a long time.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.