日本赤十字社

What 日本赤十字社 does

The Japanese Red Cross Society (日本赤十字社), founded in 1877 and headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo, is Japan's designated statutory blood collection organization and operates a nationwide humanitarian network including 90 Red Cross hospitals, 7 regional block blood centers, and over 500 fixed blood donation rooms and mobile blood collection buses. Its core operations span four pillars: (1) blood services — collection, NAT and antibody testing, manufacturing of red blood cell concentrates, platelet concentrates, and plasma-derived products, with 24/7/365 supply to all medical institutions nationwide; (2) disaster relief — domestic救護 and international humanitarian response (recently deployed for the 2026 Venezuela earthquake and Otsuchi forest fire); (3) medical and nursing education through its own Red Cross hospitals, the Japanese Red Cross College of Nursing, and幹部看護師研修センター; and (4) social welfare services. Technology infrastructure combines traditional blood-banking logistics with the ラブラッド (Love Blood) web/app membership platform launched 2018 and rolled out nationwide January 2026, enabling appointment booking, pre-screening questionnaires, and access to blood test results.

The organization's business model is a hybrid humanitarian-nonprofit structure with no direct pricing on blood donation (donations are voluntary and free). Funding derives from public donations (ご寄付) via credit card, bank transfer, convenience stores, PayPay, Amazon, and Yahoo!; special-appeal relief funds for domestic and international disasters; government subsidies via the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare; and fee-based medical services from the 90-hospital network. Long-tenured corporate partnerships materially subsidize operations — most notably the Japan Lottery Association, which has donated 568 blood collection vehicles worth ~172 billion yen since 1967 (~half of all mobile blood buses nationwide). International operations include training programs delivered to 439 participants from 22 Asia-Pacific countries since 1978, and recognized by the governments of Laos (2017 Development Medal) and Myanmar (2018 Letter of Appreciation).

Customer segments are institutionally diversified: medical institutions nationwide (B2B supply of blood products), millions of individual blood donors (B2C voluntary contributors, increasingly targeted through anime/celebrity collaborations), disaster victims (humanitarian aid recipients), and trainees from foreign Red Cross societies (capacity-building). The organization holds the unique combination of a regulatory monopoly under Japan's Blood Service Act, imperial patronage, and 150 years of brand equity, and operates as part of the global International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

Name

日本赤十字社

Legal name

日本赤十字社 (Japanese Red Cross Society)

Website

https://jrc.or.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1877

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Japanese Red Cross Society is Japan's sole statutorily authorized blood collection organization, operating 90 hospitals, 7 regional blood centers, and a nationwide donation network serving medical institutions and millions of voluntary donors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian Blood Services

NAICS

Blood and Organ Banks (621991), Medical Laboratories (621511), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Medical Laboratories (8071), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Blood Bank, Transfusion Medicine & Immunohematology (HLAHAAAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Transfusion Medicine & Immunohematology (Blood Bank) (HLAFAMAG), Blood, Organ & Tissue Donation Organizations (BPAGACAJ), Blood Bank/Transfusion Medicine LIS (HLACAMAE)

Keywords

• Blood donation services
• Humanitarian aid
• Disaster relief operations
• Medical hospital services
• Nursing education

Headquarters

HQ city

港区, 東京都

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. 寄付・義援金 (Donations and Relief Funds): The organization relies primarily on public donations (ご寄付) for its humanitarian activities. Donations can be made through credit card, bank transfer, convenience stores, PayPay, Amazon, Yahoo!, and other online platforms. Special appeal donations (義援金・救援金) are collected for disaster relief both domestically and internationally.
2. 血液事業 (Blood Services): Blood donation services are provided free of charge to donors. The organization supplies blood products to medical institutions. Revenue is supplemented by government subsidies and public donations rather than direct charges for blood products.
3. 医疗服务事业 (Medical Services): Operates 90 Red Cross hospitals across Japan providing medical services, nursing education, and social welfare services. Revenue generated from medical service fees.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Japanese Red Cross Society (JRC) is Japan's only authorized blood collection organization, operating nationwide blood donation services (献血ルーム fixed donation rooms and 献血バス mobile buses), manufacturing and supplying blood products (red blood cell concentrates, platelet concentrates, plasma products) to medical institutions, and supporting umbilical cord blood and bone marrow banking. In parallel, JRC delivers domestic disaster relief, international humanitarian aid across Asia-Pacific, and operates 90 Red Cross hospitals plus nursing colleges and social welfare facilities.

Product overview

日本赤十字社の血液事業は1952年（昭和27年）に開始され、献血の普及、血液製剤の製造、医療機関への供給を一貫して行う日本唯一の採血事業者です。主要製品は献血サービス（ラブラッド会員サービス）、血液製剤（輸血用血液製剤・血漿分画製剤）、献血会場（献血ルーム・献血バスの運行）で構成されています。献血Web会員サービス「ラブラッド」は2018年10月に「Mina no献血」と統合・統合され、献血予約・問診回答・検査結果確認等功能を提供するプラットフォームとして機能しています。

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ラブラッド (Love Blood): Blood donation web membership service for reservation, health check results, and donor management
• みんなの献血 (Minna no Kenketsu)
• THINK献血
• 宝くじ号 (Takara-kuji-go)

Products and services

• 献血Web会員サービス「ラブラッド」 (Love Blood Web Membership Service) Online membership platform provided by the Japanese Red Cross Society for blood donors, enabling online appointment booking, pre-donation questionnaire, blood test result viewing, and point-based rewards. As of Reiwa 8 (2026) January 5, the ラブラッド membership service replaces blood donation cards and donation notebooks nationwide.
• 献血サービス (Blood Donation Services - 献血ルーム and 献血バス) Free, voluntary blood donation intake services operated by the Japanese Red Cross Society at fixed blood donation rooms (献血ルーム) nationwide and via mobile blood collection buses (献血バス) that travel to workplaces, schools, and community sites. Includes whole blood and apheresis donation types.
• 輸血用血液製剤 (Blood Products for Transfusion) Blood products manufactured from donated blood and supplied to medical institutions throughout Japan, including red blood cell concentrates for anemia treatment, platelet concentrates for blood disease/immune disorder treatment, and plasma products.
• 骨髄バンク・臍帯血バンク事業 (Bone Marrow Bank and Cord Blood Bank Support) Operation of the cord blood bank and support for the bone marrow registry as a designated hematopoietic stem cell provision support organization, including donor registration, matching, and data management to support transplantation for leukemia and other blood diseases.
• 赤十字病院グループ (Red Cross Hospital Group - 90 Hospitals) Network of 90 Red Cross hospitals across Japan providing medical services, physician clinical training, nursing education, and social welfare, with aggregated medical quality reporting at the Tokyo headquarters.
• 看護師等の教育 (Nursing and Healthcare Education) Formal nursing and healthcare education programs operated by the Japanese Red Cross Society, including the Japanese Red Cross College of Nursing (日本赤十字学園), nursing vocational schools, the Nightingale Medal program, and the JRC Senior Nurse Training Center.
• 国内災害救護 (Domestic Disaster Relief) Domestic disaster preparedness and relief activities across Japan, including medical care teams, relief supplies, evacuation support, Red Cross disaster preparedness seminars, and condolence/benefit payment programs (慰労給付金支給事業) for affected populations.
• 国際活動 (International Humanitarian Activities) International humanitarian assistance programs, including overseas disaster relief, the international blood sector training program (since 1978, 439 participants from 22 countries/regions), and bilateral support to National Red Cross societies across Asia-Pacific.
• 社会福祉 (Social Welfare Services) Social welfare facilities and services operated by the Japanese Red Cross Society across Japan, supporting vulnerable populations with welfare programs beyond medical and blood services.

Quantifiable outcome

• Blood donation rate increased to 100% domestic self-sufficiency (achieved within 10 years of 1964 government policy decision)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• 日本ライオンズ (Japan Lions Clubs)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 26 March 2026Signed blood donation promotion partnership agreement on March 26, 2026 with General Incorporated Association Japan Lions to promote blood donation activities.
• 大鵬企画/納谷芳子 (Taihō Kikaku / Nayano Yoshiko)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 January 2016Former sumo grand champion Taihō's family has donated 73 blood transport vehicles (大鵬号) since 1969. Professional golfer Aoki Isao participated in presenting a vehicle to Hokkaido Blood Center.
• 公益財団法人ソニー音楽財団/ミキモトグループ (Sony Music Foundation / Mikimoto Group)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2016MIKIMOTO Annual Blood Donation Charity Concert organized by Sony Music Foundation with Mikimoto Group sponsorship. Concert proceeds donated to Japanese Red Cross for blood transport vehicles and blood sector activities.
• 亚洲・太平洋地域赤十字・赤新月社 (Asian-Pacific Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1978Since 1978, Japanese Red Cross has conducted overseas blood sector training programs for Asian-Pacific countries. 439 participants from 22 countries/regions have been trained. Training covers blood collection, testing, manufacturing, and quality assurance. Five-year hiatus due to COVID-19 ended in November 2024 with 9 participants from 9 countries.
• 日本宝くじ協会 (Japan Lottery Association)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 1967Since 1967, the Japan Lottery Association has provided annual grants for mobile blood collection vehicles (宝くじ号). In Reiwa 6, 385 million yen was provided for 12 vehicles. Over 50+ years, 568 vehicles totaling approximately 172 billion yen have been donated. About half of all mobile blood collection buses nationwide are 宝くじ号.
• OKIminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a cooperating company/organization on the official website, participating in Red Cross activities and support programs.
• JKA (日本小型自動車工業会/競輪とオートレースの補助事業)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSocial Action program supporting blood donation promotion through cycle racing and auto racing subsidy programs.
• 厚生労働省/都道府県 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare / Prefectural Governments)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizers of national blood donation campaigns including 'はたちの献血' and '愛の血液助け合い運動'. Government partners for blood service regulation and promotion.
• 京都大学iPS細胞研究所 (Kyoto University CiRA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation with iPS cell research for medical applications. Japanese Red Cross supported research for building medical iPS cell stock, ended February 3, 2025.
• 国立研究開発法人国立国際医療研究センター (NCGM)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on international blood sector training support for Myanmar. Japanese Red Cross provided training to 23 Myanmar trainees and participated in symposia.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• NHS Blood and Transplant: The U.K.'s national blood and organ authority, operating collection, testing, manufacturing, and supply functions analogous to JRC's blood services. Shares a public-sector/regulated mandate focused on safe national blood supply.
• American Red Cross: The U.S. arm of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, similarly operating blood collection, disaster relief, and international humanitarian programs. Comparable in mission, blood-bank exclusivity, and scale, making it the most direct international counterpart to JRC.
• Canadian Blood Services: Canada's national blood operator, responsible for collection, testing, and distribution outside Quebec. Operates a similar regulated, single-mandate model for blood supply as JRC.
• OneBlood: A large U.S. nonprofit blood center serving the southeastern United States, focused on blood collection, testing, and distribution to hospitals. Operates mobile blood collection similar to JRC's献血バス network.
• Vitalant: One of the largest nonprofit blood collection organizations in the United States, operating a nationwide network of donor centers and mobile blood drives. Comparable nonprofit blood-bank model with regional collection centers analogous to JRC's 7 regional block blood centers.
• Australian Red Cross Lifeblood: Australia's national blood service operated by the Australian Red Cross, providing collection, testing, and supply of blood products. Direct mission-aligned counterpart under the international Red Cross Movement.

Regional players

• Taiwan Blood Services Foundation: Taiwan's designated national blood service organization, operating blood collection centers and mobile drives. Comparable regional mandate in an East Asian market, though structured as an independent foundation rather than a Red Cross society.
• Korean Red Cross Blood Services: Operates the national blood service in South Korea under the Korean Red Cross, with similar collection, testing, and manufacturing activities. Strong regional peer given the same East Asian healthcare context and Red Cross Movement affiliation.
• Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service: Hong Kong's hospital-authority-affiliated blood service under the Red Cross framework, operating donor recruitment and blood collection. Comparable regional player with similar mission and donor-engagement model.

Broad incumbents

• Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders): A leading international humanitarian organization providing medical emergency response and disaster relief. Comparable to JRC on disaster relief and international humanitarian activities, though without JRC's blood-bank monopoly or hospital network.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/JRCS_PR
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/JapaneseRedCrossPR
• Facebookfacebook.com/japaneseredcross
• Instagraminstagram.com/japaneseredcross_official
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E8%B5%A4%E5%8D%81%E5%AD%97%E7%A4%BE

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about 日本赤十字社