10 Years of “Patient Groups in Japan”
We established our organization “Nanbyo Support Network Hokkaido” in 2007 in order to collect patient groups’ valuable, archival information materials and make them public. Also that year we launched the “Patient Groups in Japan” project.
We have been successful in the retrieval of many early edition yet valuable newsletters and books primarily through the efforts of our representative Mr. Ito who has a long tenure managing patients groups. A not so well known fact is that patients groups began in Japan more than 70 years ago. Our goal is to preserve the records for posterity.
(L-R) Tateo Ito, Nanbyo Support Network Hokkaido, Mitsuko Kojima, Chief Editor, Shiori Nagamori, Nanbyo Support Network Hokkaido (Kojima House 2008)
(L-R) Shiori Nagamori, Tateo Ito,Michio Kondo, Michiko Hasegawa (Sapporo Office 2008)
“Patient Groups’ Movement” Hiroshi Osa (Published 1978)
Patient Groups Newsletters
Digital Conversion
Website Homepage
NPO “Akariya”, an employment support organization for people with disabilities, is in charge of making the digital contents. The members improve their skills and are compensated.
We had only hopes and dreams when we started this project. We weren’t sure exactly what to do, and had limited capital. Together with expert advice, we were fortunate to secure financial contributions and donations along the way.
Project Subsidies
- Pfizer Program in 2007, 2008, 2009
- In 2007, The Kojima Fund
- In 2011, The Hokkaido Shimbun Press Fund
- In 2013, COOP Sapporo Welfare Fund
- In 2013, Hokkaido Red Feather Fund
- In 2013, The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare “The supporting Project for NANBYO patients” Money in Trust
- In 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare”The supporting Project for NANBYO patients” Subsidies
We redesigned our website and made an informative movie in Japanese and English with the help of a research institute.
(L-R) Shiori Nagamori, Nanbyo Support Network Hokkaido, Philip Blencowe, proof reading and narrator (Recording Session Sapporo 2013)
June 28, 2013 Hokkaido Shimbun Press
October 15, 2009 Big Issue Japan No.129
Evaluation Committee Meeting Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
Meeting Hokkaido Research Institute for the Twenty-first Century
Mr. Tateo Ito, Nanbyo Support Network Hokkaido Receiving the “Healthy Society Award” From Ms. Suga Sakamoto (March 2015)
From 2013, this project got a subsidy from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.We will add the interviews from past leaders going forward.
We’d like to preserve the records and make them accessible not only in Japan but globally.
Shiori Nagamori
