Julian recently visited a Red Cross blood donation center in Kagoshima to donate blood, but was refused because he can't speak Japanese. They also told him he couldn't donate blood even if he brought along a native speaker.

"I was so surprised, I couldn't believe it," he writes. "I'd like to know why the Japanese Red Cross rejects blood donations from some foreigners who cannot speak Japanese, even if the person went to their office with a native speaker."

After contacting the Japan Red Cross Society, they confirmed that people wanting to donate blood who aren't able to speak Japanese are usually refused (although how often this actually happens is unclear). Their reason: "We want to save the lives of patients who are in need of blood transfusions, so we want many people to donate blood. At the same time, we want to make sure blood donors stay healthy. People often feel sick and faint after donating blood. In order to prevent these incidents, we think it is very important to conduct an appropriate medical examination (by interview and self-survey).