Donations to Japanese city jump to get toilet paper

March 6, 2020

Shizuoka--There has been a rush of donations to a central Japan city from people wanting to get return gifts of toilet and tissue paper amid the spread of the new coronavirus.

Donations to Fuji, Shizuoka Prefecture, increased sharply after false rumors spread across the country that the outbreak might lead to shortages of such items.

In the three days from Feb. 28, the city received some 1,330 donations, exceeding the 1,160 donations it received in the whole of February 2019.

The city, which produces some 30 pct of domestic toilet paper, attracted people's attention after panic buying of the product emptied store shelves.

After receiving over 500 donations on Feb. 28, the local government stopped accepting some donations, facing difficulty supplying return gifts.

In the three days from Feb. 28, the city collected some 22 million yen in donations, compared with the 250 million yen it received in fiscal 2018, which ended in March last year.

With the situation stabilizing, the number of donations has now fallen back to some 100 per day.

"We're grateful for receiving donations and drawing public attention to our regional specialties," a city official said. "But we hope people will act calmly because factories have stocks." Jiji Press