5.5.2 The Donguri Bank （The Acorn Bank）

Kagawa Prefecture contains approximately 880km2 of forest, which makes up about 47% of the total area of the prefecture. Most of these forests are comprised of deciduous broad-leaved trees (such as the sawtooth oak, or kunugi, and konara oak, or konara) and pines. Around 85% of the forests are close to human populations, and have long been utilized by them. These forests must be maintained not just by the landowners and logging companies, but by everyone in the prefecture.
Since 1992, the Donguri (acorn) Bank has promoted opportunities for prefectural residents, particularly children, to experience the forests all around them. The planting of saplings, trimming of underbrush, and other activities, reinforce the importance of forests, and allow locals to become better acquainted with their preservation. The bank uses acorns as the unit of currency, representing them not with \ but with a D (for donguri, or acorn). Deposits can be made, and when an account reaches a certain level, the deposit is exchanged for a sapling which can then be planted. The bank is very popular among children; there were 16,000 account holders registered as of 2005.
Increased activity in forests leads to increased awareness, and volunteer activity in forest maintenance is on the rise.