Donations to quake-hit Kumamoto reach 4.3bn yen

The figure, which was as of Wednesday, was announced Thursday.

"I would like to express my sincere gratitude for the enthusiastic support for Kumamoto," Kumamoto Governor Takashi Kimura said Thursday.

"We will make good use of the donations to support quake victims and promote postdisaster reconstruction."

Donations for direct distribution to victims totaled 3,635.42 million yen, according to the prefectural government.

Individuals and corporations contributed 352.14 million yen in 25,125 cases under the furusato nozei donation system, while 333.74 million yen was provided in 98 cases under a separate furusato nozei program that offers tax incentives to businesses making contributions to local governments' regional revitalization projects.

The 7.1-magnitude earthquake registered up to 7, the highest level on Japan's seismic intensity scale.

Meanwhile, there have been reports about suspicious emails impersonating the Japanese Red Cross Society to solicit donations since the earthquake.

The Consumer Affairs Agency has urged the public to be cautious, also citing past cases in which scammers collected donations by posing as welfare organizations or public institutions.