On Friday, September 19, 2019, at the lobby of 1^st floor of Kumamoto Prefectural Government Building, a ceremony was held for the donation of six benches made by cedar of thinning forest cut down trees from the “Aso Taikan no Mori”. Mr. Yamaki, Higo Bank’s Deputy President (Also Councilor of our Foundation) handed the donation catalog to Mr. Koga, Education Superintendent in Kumamoto Prefecture. In total, twelve benches were donated, including six of last year.

This is the group photo of Aso Chuo Senior High School students belonged to the green environment department. We ordered them for bench production and they have been working on the desk as the part of their class work from April of this year. This bench does not use any nails or metal fittings, and is fully made by the “Kumiki” construction method used in traditional architecture. The representative student explained that this is because considering the safety of the children who use it.

After the donation ceremony, the Kumamoto Prefectural Office of Education, the teachers and students of Aso Chuo High School, and the staff of the Foundation took commemorative group photos.

Kumamoto City Furumachi Elementary School

Yatsushiro City Sakamoto Junior High School

Minamata City Kugino Elementary School

Through the donation of these benches, the children of Kumamoto, who will be the next generation, could use them in their daily school life and touch the wood that grew up in the wilderness of Aso. We are very happy to know that through the use of benches; students learn about the functions of wood forest which plays an important role in environmental conservation. 

《6 schools donated this year》

Kumamoto City Furumachi Elementary School
Mashiki Municipal Hiroyasu Nishi Elementary School
Minamata City Kugino Elementary School
Nishikicho Kinoue Elementary School
Yatsushiro City Sakamoto Junior High School
Amakusa City Ryounan Junior High School