The winning bidder of a teacup used by pop icon Lady Gaga died Thursday of an illness, a day after donating it to Miyagi Prefecture, his sister said.
Akihisa Yumi, a 54-year-old dentist in the Miyagi city of Osaki, bought the teacup for around ¥6 million at a charity auction last spring to support those affected by the 2011 quake-tsunami disasters. He died at a local hospital of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a lung disease he developed after Miyagi and much of Tohoku was wrecked by the catastrophe.
According to the sister, Koto Cho, 52, Yumi was constantly involved in volunteer work in the disaster-ravaged areas. He took part in the auction, saying he "does not want the item to be used for purposes other than the reconstruction (of Tohoku)."
Yumi's condition worsened earlier this year and he became bedridden about 10 days ago, prompting Cho to donate the teacup.