Raising Awareness of Eye Banks
Giving eyesight back to as many as possible.
There are between 20,000 and 30,000 people in Japan that need a corneal transplant due to accidents or illnesses, but only 1,500 transplant surgeries are done every year. There simply aren't enough donors.
While organ donation is up to each individuals own decision, there are families that are unaware of organ donation, which is one reason to the lack of donors.
That is why we are raising awareness of eye banks.
What Are Eye Banks?
Eye banks are public institutions that mediate corneal transplants between donors and recipients. There are 54 eye banks in Japan. We are appealing for more donors to register at the Japan Eye Bank Association. If you wish to register as a donor, click here to go the official website.
Eye Bank Musical
In 2008, we created a musical called Papa kara Moratta Takaramono (lit. "Treasure Received from Daddy") to raise awareness of eye banks in a fun way.
It tells the story of Mika, a university hospital intern, who works as a corneal transplant coordinator.
She happens to witness a bereaved family, who in the midst of their sorrow, decide to donate the deceased's corneals. Surgery begins and a young child regains their eyesight. The story continues with Mika's growth and dramas involving the joy of seeing, doctor interviews, the history of eye banks, and live music.
Local Support for Eye Banks
We participate in all kinds of activities throughout the year to raise awareness of eye banks.
We founded the organization Eye Bank Ai no Hikari Kikin-Kanri-Kai (lit. "Eye Bank Light of Love Fund Management Association") to support four eye banks in Kyoto, Shiga, and Nara. Company president Kenichi Kakutani became an executive director of the association in 2010 and an honorary consultant in 2011.
The eye banks are located in the Kansai region of Japan, and we participate in local activities to raise awareness of them. Some examples include symposiums about eye diseases, lectures about corneal transplantations, study groups about eye banks, paying respects to those who donated their corneals and those who passed away in the Great East Japan Earthquake, and appealing for more donors at various events.