I want one of these in US currency and I want a child to give this to.  Heck, I want one for myself.  What is Jinsei Ginko (Life Bank)?  It sounds like it’s a piggy bank crossed with an RPG.  The amount and frequency of deposits determines the life your little bank avatar will live.

EEK!!!!  Can you imagine expanding upon this idea and incorporating it into a mobile device as a fun way to track saving and spending?  There could be versions for little kids, teenagers, and adults.    And the nice thing is, if you win, you actually win with a nice sum of your own money to purchase your ultimate real-life quest item.   If I were to implement a web application based on this, I’d sell it to credit card companies as a fun companion to a rewards program and the “loot” could be an advertising opportunity to sell.  It could be fun to get mobile alerts on the status of your little avatar.  I’d be nice way to get people to return multiple times a week to a website.   Oooh, I’ll keep further thoughts about this to myself ;p.

Anyhow, in this time of financial crisis, this type of product would be a big hit :).  Too bad there is not one in the US for this Christmas season.