1. Why early blood transfusions in 17th-century France were dangerous guesses
The history of blood transfusion is said to go back to 17th-century France. Around 1667, a doctor named Denis put sheep’s blood into a patient who had anemia and a high fever. The patient died, and it is reported that this method was then banned. [1]
In the first half of the 19th century, James Blundell, an obstetrician in London, tried transferring blood from one person to another. Records show he saved the lives of some women who had heavy bleeding after childbirth. However, the exact year of these successes varies by source, with some saying 1825 and others 1827. [1]
While some people were saved, others suffered serious side effects from the same procedure. At that time, no one could explain why the results were so different. [1]
2. How Landsteiner's 1900 discovery of blood types helped transfusions
In 1900, Karl Landsteiner, who was doing research in Vienna, discovered that human blood has types: A, B, and O. Around the following year, the AB type was added. The exact dates vary slightly in different records, with the discovery noted in 1900, the paper published in 1901, and the addition of AB type in 1901 or 1902. [2]
This discovery was important because it finally explained the reason for the serious side effects and deaths that happened when incompatible blood was given. If doctors check the blood type and choose matching blood, accidents can be reduced. [2]
Landsteiner is introduced as having received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1930 for this work. [2]
3. How sodium citrate prevented clotting and made storing blood possible
Another problem was that blood clots immediately when it leaves the body. Around 1914–1915, it was reported that adding sodium citrate to blood prevented it from clotting. This substance is called an anticoagulant. It allowed blood to be taken, stored for a while, and used when needed. [3]
Several doctors, including Justin, Agote, and Lewisohn, were involved in these reports. It seems that attempts were happening in several places at the same time, rather than being the achievement of just one person. [3]
In 1937, Fantus in Chicago created the world’s first blood bank. It is introduced that each collection was 500 mL, and the blood could be stored for 10 days. This was a step that changed blood from something passed “directly from person to person” to something “stored and delivered.” [1]
4. Japan's Two Blood Bank Systems and the Problems of Paid Blood Collection
In Japan in 1952, two blood bank systems started operating side by side: commercial blood banks run by paid blood sales, and the Japanese Red Cross Society’s blood banks based on voluntary donations. [4]
Soon, problems with paid blood sales became noticeable. To make money, donors were bled repeatedly at intervals too short for their red blood cells to recover. This made the yellow plasma part of the blood stand out, leading to the name “yellow blood.” This harmed the health of the donors, and hepatitis infections were also common. [5]
Around 1962, donor anemia and post-transfusion hepatitis from paid blood became social problems. A movement to end the “yellow blood” problem began. Movements by students and others spread across the country. It is thought that the blame lay not with the people selling their blood, but with the system that paid money for it. [4][5]
5. How a 1964 hepatitis case led Japan to full blood donation in about 10 years
In March 1964, Reischauer, the US Ambassador to Japan, contracted hepatitis after a transfusion. This event was widely reported. While it was not the only reason, student movements and news reports also helped push for change. [6]
On August 21, 1964, the Japanese government decided by cabinet resolution to establish a system for securing blood for transfusions through voluntary donations. This date is now known as “Blood Donation Day.” [6]
The year before this decision, blood from voluntary donations made up only about 2% of the total for transfusions. That is about 1 unit out of every 50. By 1974, voluntary donations met the need for transfusion blood. In about 10 years, the system changed from “mostly paid blood” to relying on voluntary donations. [4]
Production of stored blood from paid sales stopped in 1969, and paid blood collection completely ended in Japan in 1990. The achievement of self-sufficiency in 1974 and the end of paid collection are separate events. [4]
6. How repeated tests make donated blood safer
Donated blood is checked repeatedly to make sure no diseases are present. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare timeline notes that tests for HBs antigen (related to Hepatitis B) started in 1972, HIV antibody tests in 1986, HCV antibody tests (for Hepatitis C) in 1989, and Nucleic Acid Amplification Testing (NAT) in 1999. [4]
The HCV antibody test in 1989 is introduced as having started ahead of the rest of the world. In 1986, 400 mL donations and component blood collection were also introduced. [4]
However, tests have limits. They cannot find viruses that are not yet known. Therefore, asking about transfusion history on the questionnaire and asking some people to refrain from donating as a precaution is part of the safety system. [4]
Is the collected blood truly safe? The questionnaire is positioned as part of safety that supplements the tests. Safety is maintained not just by better testing technology, but by checks and questions that help catch risks tests may miss. [4]
7. Why blood donations are needed every day
Blood cannot be made artificially and cannot be stored for long periods. Because of this, blood donations are needed every day, not just in the past. Some private websites summarize data from the Japanese Red Cross Society to say that an average of about 3,000 people receive transfusions each day nationwide, but this has not been verified against original sources here. [8]
The time blood can be stored is also slowly increasing. In information for medical professionals from the Japanese Red Cross Society, the effective period for red blood cell products changed from 21 days to 28 days after collection in March 2023. [7]
Platelet products are also introduced as having their storage period extended from 4 days to 6 days in 2025, but this information comes from secondary sources. [8]
For people about 200 years ago, sharing blood was a gamble. Today, it is supported by many layers of safeguards: blood types, anticoagulants, storage systems, tests, and voluntary donations. [1]
8. What you can do today to learn more about blood donation
Things you can do today: Imagine how the students who led the movement to end the “yellow blood” problem spread their campaign across the country. Write down your ideas. Pick one point you might be able to check in old newspapers or materials.
You can also make a timeline of the history of transfusions, pairing “what was not known” with “what was found to solve it.”
Things you can do by going out: Look for books on “transfusion” or “blood” at the library. Compare how the writing differs before and after Landsteiner’s discovery.
Official information: You can check the latest systems and numbers on the Japanese Red Cross Society and Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare pages for blood services.