Firms, People with Ties to Oita Offer Aid after Massive Fire

Oita, Nov. 29 (Jiji Press)–After a large-scale fire broke out in the Saganoseki district of the city of Oita in the namesake prefecture in southwestern Japan, many companies and prominent figures with ties to the region have announced donations and other aid to support recovery efforts. On Friday, major nonferrous metals company JX Advanced Metals Corp. offered to donate a total of 1 billion yen as a corporate group to the Oita city government, saying it hopes the city will use the money in a way that makes residents feel better as much as possible. The group has long ties with the region, as its Saganoseki Smelter and Refinery began operation in 1916. “The local community has supported us for 110 years,” Shigeki Sakamoto, deputy head of the smelter, said. “Shirogane Noel,” a popular virtual YouTuber, or VTuber, with over 2 million followers on the video sharing platform, said that all proceeds from YouTube’s Super Chat feature, which is like tips paid by fans to content creators, acquired during her livestream on Monday will be donated to Saganoseki. The VTuber said she grew up in Oita Prefecture and has visited Saganoseki several times. “I sincerely pray for reconstruction as soon as possible,” Shirogane Noel posted on X, formerly Twitter. Major meeting room rental service company TKP Corp. has decided to provide 30 million yen in financial aid to the city of Oita and offer guest rooms in a hotel it operates as temporary evacuation sites. The company plans to offer continuous support. “Though it’s only a small help, we hope it will support the rebuilding of the lives of people affected by the disaster,” TKP President Takateru Kawano, who is from the city of Oita, said in a statement. The Oita prefectural and city governments began accepting donations on Nov. 20, two days after the fire began. The city had received a total of roughly 115 million yen as of noon Friday, and the prefecture is also seeing a steady stream of donations. Although the fire, which has consumed 182 buildings, has almost been brought under control, some 110 people from around 80 households are still living in evacuation centers. Support for rebuilding their lives has only just begun. “We will do all we can for swift revitalization, including restoring infrastructure,” Oita Mayor Shinya Adachi said. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]