Roadside largesse from complete stranger inspires others to share stories of unexpected generosity in Japan’s famously money-loving city.
In Japan, the people of Osaka are often said to be, well, let’s call it especially enamored with money. The local greeting, “Mokarimakka?,” literally translates to “Are you making money?”, and the city’s middle-aged and elderly women are said to be some of the toughest price negotiators you’ll find in the country.
She then handed him 2,000 yen (US$18) in cash.
▼ @mongoosehulk’s deeply tanned legs serve as testament to the scorching temperatures.
Other Twitter users chimed in with their own tales of Osaka generosity.
Another thing Osaka is famous for is its comedy scene, with aspiring comedians from across Japan moving to the city as they try to establish their careers, which ties into one more story of big-heartedness.
What’s especially strange about @mongoosehulk’s story is that even though a cold drink from a vending machine or convenience store in Japan will only run you about 150 yen, the woman gave him the unexpected present went to the trouble of giving him two 1,000-yen bills, so it’s not like she was simply giving him the smallest denomination she happened to have. It’s the most random part of her random act of generosity, leaving @mongoosehulk to tweet “There are some really nice things about Osaka,” and maybe he can use some of his sudden cash influx to buy a box of charity Kit Kats to help with Osaka’s recovery from its recent earthquake.
Follow Casey on Twitter, where a random old lady in Tokyo once offered him a bag of oranges.