Bob is wondering if the blood donation rules, which we covered in "Less-than-fluent foreigners may have trouble giving blood" (April 3), also apply to organ donors.
"I am carrying, and have for years, a donor card to donate my organs in case of my death here in Japan. But, am I allowed to donate organs under the same circumstances as shown for blood donation? But then, how would they know, as I would be dead?"
While you must meet various requirements to be eligible to donate blood in Japan, organ donation involves nothing more than simply expressing the desire to do so in case of death. You don't need to provide a medical history or take any tests, according to Yoko Iba of the Japan Organ Transplant Network (JOTN). That said, all donors' organs are examined after death to determine if they can be used.