The Japanese Red Cross is holding a two-month campaign until the end of February to raise awareness about the importance of donating blood. The campaign is particularly targeting donors in their 20s.
Star golfer Ryo Ishikawa, 20, is helping with the effort. Ishikawa says: “When I turned 20, I started to think that our generation (late teens and 20s), including me, must change this situation. There is a shortage of blood donations from our generation. It is not somebody else’s problem.”
Ishikawa has been a goodwill representative for the campaign for the past three years. Monkey Majik sings the theme song “HERO” for the current campaign.
The Red Cross says the decreasing birthrate and aging population are causing a drain on blood supplies, since more elderly people are in need of transfusions.
According to the Japanese Red Cross Tokyo Metropolitan Blood Center website, type O blood is most urgently needed.
Contrary to what some people think, foreign people can donate blood. However, there are some conditions, such as how long they have been in Japan, health and other factors. The Red Cross website has the following information about who cannot donate blood (applicable to both Japanese and foreigners).
People who cannot donate blood
- Anyone who is AIDS or HIV-positive.
- Anyone who has sexual relationships with random people in the previous six months.
- Men who have had a sexual relationship with other men in the previous six months.
- Anyone who has used drugs or stimulants in the previous six months.
- Anyone who has received a blood transfusion in the previous six months.
- Anyone with hepatitis B or C virus.
- Anyone who has had syphilis or malaria before.
- Anyone who has been in Japan for less than 4 weeks.
- Anyone who has resided in certain countries in Europe since 1980. (Ask staff about specific countries in Europe, term of residence, and other details.)
- Anyone who has been taking medication such as AVODART from Glaxo Smith Kilne (6 months), PROPECIA from Merck (a month), and PROSCAR from Merck (a month).
- Anyone who has used human placenta extract injection.
- Anyone who had dental treatment that resulted in bleeding (except scaling) in the previous three days.
- Pregnant women.
- British nationals are not eligible due to scares from Creutzfeldt-Jakob (mad cow) disease if they spent (visited or lived) a cumulative time of 3 months or more, in the United Kingdom from Jan 1, 1980, through Dec 31, 1996.
There are many blood donation centers in Tokyo and some offer an interesting experience.
Shinjuku-West Entrance Blood Donation Center
The Shinjuku-West Entrance Blood Donation Facility has a campaign called “New Year Kenketsu (blood donation) 2012.” If you donate blood in January, you’ll receive a mini-towel.
Image: Japanese Red Cross Tokyo Metropolitan Blood Center
Tel: 03-3348-1211
Open hours: 11:00 ~12:45 (for 400ml)/14:00 ~ 18:45 (for 200ml)
Closed Dec 31, Jan 1
The Metropolitan Government Blood Donation Center
If you donate blood at the Metropolitan Government Blood Donation Center, they’ll give you a drink and snacks. This month, the snack is a creamy pudding.
Image: Japanese Red Cross Tokyo Metropolitan Blood Center
Tel: 03-3343-2231
Open hours: 10:00~12:00/14:00~15:00 (for plasmapheresis), 10:00~12:45 (for 400ml) /14:00~15:30 (for 200ml)
Closed Saturday, Sunday, national holidays, Dec 29~Jan 3
Shinjuku-East Entrance Blood Donation Center
The Shinjuku-East Entrance Blood Donation Facility uses Twitter to tweet not only the current situation concerning blood donations, but also information that the official website doesn’t publish. If you follow the facility on Twitter and tweet “I’m in Shinjuku-East Entrance Blood Donation Center now,” and show it to the staff, you’ll receive a present.
You can follow the Shinjuku-East Entrance Blood Donation Center here.
Image: Japanese Red Cross Tokyo Metropolitan Blood Center
Tel: 03-5269-1431
Open hours: 10:00~17:00 (for plasmapheresis), 10:00~18:30 (for 400ml and 200ml)
Closed Dec 31, Jan 1
Blood Donation Center SHIBU2
SHIBU2 is giving blood donors an alarm clock with an illustration of Kenketsu-chan (blood donation mascot created by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare) or a small stationary set if you have 20 points in the mobile phone mail club for blood donation. Once you acquire 20 points, show the screen displaying how many points you have or if you register by PC, submit a print-out of your points.
If you want to become a mobile phone mail club member, you can register until March 31. Registering entitles you to a present as well.
Image: Japanese Red Cross Tokyo Metropolitan Blood Center
Tel: 03-3770-0820
Open hours: 10:00~11:30/13:30~17:00 (weekdays for plasmapheresis), 10:00~12:00/13:30~17:00 (weekends and national holidays for plasmapheresis), 10:00~12:15/13:30~17:45 (for 400ml and 200ml)
Closed Dec 31, Jan 1
Hachikomae Blood Donation Center
Tel: 03-3476-2880
Open hours: 10:00~17:00 (for plasmapheresis), 10:00~18:00 (for 400ml and 200ml)
Closed Dec 31, Jan 1, second Sunday in February, August and November
Yurakucho Blood Donation Center
The Yurakucho Blood Donation Center is carrying out a campaign to mark its 20th anniversary. If you donate blood here, you’ll receive Potesuku, a dessert which won the grand prize for gift sweets in Sapporo in 2010.
Image: Japanese Red Cross Tokyo Metropolitan Blood Center
Tel: 03-3213-8666
Open hours: 10:00~17:00 (for plasmapheresis), 10:00~18:30 (for 400ml and 200ml)
Closed Dec 31, Jan 1
Akiba Blood Donation Center
The Akiba Blood Donation Center provides sweets on the 19th of every months because 19th is called “the day of Shokuiku” (food education).
Image: Japanese Red Cross Tokyo Metropolitan Blood Center
Tel: 03-5298-2811
Open hours: 10:00~12:00/14:00~17:00 (for plasmapheresis), 10:00~12:45/14:00~17:45 (weekdays for 400ml and 200ml), 10:00~17:45 (weekends and national holidays for 400ml and 200ml)
Closed Dec 31, Jan 1
akiba:F Blood Donation Center
The akiba:F Blood Donation Center also uses Twitter to tweet the current conditions on appointment times and how crowded it is. The center also holds original events and tweets information about them. If you tweet “@(at) akibaF now” and show it to staff, you’ll receive a present.
Follow akiba:F Blood Donation Center on Twitter here.
Image: Japanese Red Cross Tokyo Metropolitan Blood Center
Tel: 03-3251-8201
Open hours: 10:00~11:30/13:30~17:00 (for plasmapheresis), 10:00~12:15/13:30~17:45 (for 400ml and 200ml)
Closed Dec 31, Jan 1
Blood Donation Center Ikebukuro East
If you register with the center’s mobile phone mail club, you can receive a premium present. You get points when you donate your blood, and once you get 20 points, you will receive a present.
Image: Japanese Red Cross Tokyo Metropolitan Blood Center
Tel: 03-3988-9000
Open hours: 10:00~11:30/13:30~17:00 (for plasmapheresis), 10:00~12:15/13:30~17:45 (for 400ml and 200ml)
Closed Dec 31, Jan 1
Blood Donation Center BURATTO
If you donate blood here by Jan 31, you’ll receive an ECO hot pack which you can use repeatedly.
Image: Japanese Red Cross Tokyo Metropolitan Blood Center
Tel: 03-5950-3000
Open hours: 10:00~17:00 (for plasmapheresis), 10:00~18:30 (for 400ml and 200ml)
Closed Dec 31, Jan 1
Blood Donation Center Kichijoji Takion
At this enter, blood donors can have various origami figures made by volunteers. If you donate blood by Jan 31, you will receive a present.
Image: Japanese Red Cross Tokyo Metropolitan Blood Center
Tel: 0422-21-9000
Open hours: 10:00~12:00/14:00~17:00 (for plasmapheresis), 10:00~12:45/14:00~17:45 (for 400ml and 200ml)
Closed Dec 31, Jan 1
Tachikawa Blood Donation Center
If you register with the mobile phone mail club, you will receive a Kenketsu-chan cloth that is good for cleaning tables and computer screens. Also if you donate 400ml blood of type AB blood, you get a Kenketsu-chan pen (see the image below). If you have already registered, you will receive a calendar.
Image: Japanese Red Cross Tokyo Metropolitan Blood Center
Tel: 042-527-1140
Open hours: 10:30~12:30/14:30~17:30 (for plasmapheresis), 10:30~13:15/14:30~18:15 (for 400ml and 200ml)
Closed Dec 31, Jan 1, Tachikawa Modi’s holidays
Machida Blood Donation Center comfy
Tel: 042-732-8494
Open hours: 10:00~12:00/14:00~17:00 (for plasmapheresis), 10:00~12:45~14:00~17:45 (for 400ml and 200ml)
Closed Dec 31, Jan 1
Source: Japanese Red Cross Society: Japanese Red Cross Tokyo Metropolitan Blood Center
