JAPAN · JAPAN MARROW DONOR PROGRAM
Become a bone marrow donor in Japan
For people who live in Japan. Live somewhere else? Find your country.
If you live in Japan, you can join Japan Marrow Donor Program from age 18 to 54. Registering with JMDP takes about 15 minutes and 2 ml of blood at a registration window, such as a Japanese Red Cross blood donation room, and JMDP says it costs nothing. 2 Checked .
Browsing from another country? See how joining works where you live.
| Place | Japan (日本) |
|---|---|
| Region | Eastern Asia, Asia 10 |
| Population | About 124.4 million (2023) 11 |
| Registry | Japan Marrow Donor Program 3–6 |
| Who can join | Ages 18 to 54, listed until your 55th birthdayJMDP asks that you’re 18 to 54 and in good health, weigh at least 45 kg (men) or 40 kg (women), and fully understand what donating involves. JMDP’s registration Q&A says nothing about nationality or residence, and its donor information is in Japanese. 1 9 |
| How you sign up | JMDP’s steps are to read its booklet “Chance”, take the application form to a registration window such as a blood donation room or public health center, and give 2 ml of blood. JMDP mails a registration confirmation, usually within 2 to 3 weeks. 2 3 |
| Cost | JMDP says registering costs nothing at all. Its trial of signing up by cheek swab has closed because it reached its planned number of applicants, and JMDP will announce when swab registration starts for everyone. 2 7 |
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A bone marrow donor registry is also called a stem cell or blood stem cell donor registry.
Who runs the bone marrow donor registry in Japan?
How do I join in Japan?
One service signs up people who live in Japan: Japan Marrow Donor Program.
Japan Marrow Donor Program
Japan Marrow Donor Program is a nonprofit organization.
18–54years old to join
- Who it’s for
- People who live in Japan, aged 18 to 54.
- Language
- Japanese
Why this one first Japan’s national registry: register in Japanese at about 357 registration windows, mostly Red Cross blood centres (18–54).
Link checked Read the registry’s rules (opens in a new tab)
For patients and families
Japan Marrow Donor Program
Japan Marrow Donor Program is a nonprofit organization.
- Languages
- Japanese and English
Who can join in Japan?
Japan Marrow Donor Program signs up people who live in Japan. Its own pages have the full rules, and the registry decides.
- Your health
- Most healthy adults can join. Some conditions rule it out. Read the registry’s health rules (opens in a new tab)
Japan and the world’s donor search
JMDP’s provisional figures show 565,196 registered donors at the end of August 2026, after 30,439 new registrations in the year to March 2026. 6
JMDP says that in the year to March 2026, 1,920 patients in Japan were waiting for an unrelated-donor transplant and 1,035 transplants were done, about one for every two patients. 8
What happens after I join?
Your tissue type is recorded, so searches for patients can find you. If you match a patient, Japan Marrow Donor Program contacts you, checks you’re still willing and well, and arranges more tests.
Japan’s marrow donor program is a public program run by JMDP with the Japanese Red Cross and the prefectures. Matching searches start at age 20, and JMDP removes a registration on the donor’s 55th birthday. 1 4
Questions about joining in Japan
Can I join if I’m not a citizen of Japan?
JMDP asks that you’re 18 to 54 and in good health, weigh at least 45 kg (men) or 40 kg (women), and fully understand what donating involves. JMDP’s registration Q&A says nothing about nationality or residence, and its donor information is in Japanese. 1 9
How do I sign up in Japan: online, by kit or in person?
JMDP’s steps are to read its booklet “Chance”, take the application form to a registration window such as a blood donation room or public health center, and give 2 ml of blood. JMDP mails a registration confirmation, usually within 2 to 3 weeks. 2 3
Does it cost anything to join in Japan?
JMDP says registering costs nothing at all. Its trial of signing up by cheek swab has closed because it reached its planned number of applicants, and JMDP will announce when swab registration starts for everyone. 2 7
How old do you have to be to join Japan Marrow Donor Program?
Japan Marrow Donor Program signs up people aged 18 to 54. It keeps you listed until your 55th birthday. 1
Is Japan Marrow Donor Program part of the international donor search?
Yes. Japan Marrow Donor Program is a member of the World Marrow Donor Association.
Questions about donating itself have their own pages: Does it hurt?, How donation works and Recovery.
The registries’ own pages
- Japan Marrow Donor Program (日本骨髄バンク). ドナー登録できる方の条件 (Who can register).
- Japan Marrow Donor Program. ドナー登録の方法 (How to register).
- Japan Marrow Donor Program. 登録受付窓口 (Registration windows).
- Japan Marrow Donor Program. 日本骨髄バンクの概要 (Overview and division of roles).
- Japan Marrow Donor Program. 法人情報 (Corporate information).
- Japan Marrow Donor Program. 骨髄バンク事業の現状（2026年8月末現在）【速報値】 (Status at end August 2026, provisional). Updated Aug 31, 2026.
- Japan Marrow Donor Program. スワブ登録 (Swab registration trial).
- Japan Marrow Donor Program. 数字でみる骨髄バンク (JMDP in numbers).
- Japan Marrow Donor Program. Q&A ドナー登録について (Donor registration questions).
The World Marrow Donor Association and other figures
- United Nations Statistics Division. Standard country or area codes for statistical use (M49): Overview (English table).
- UN DESA Population Division. World Population Prospects 2024: Total population by sex (CSV).
Research and other sources
- Jada Bascom Foundation. About us: Jada’s story.Checked