Feel free to contact us if you're interested in collaborating.
Support and care for all those who suffer from Hypersomnolence.
ABOUT US
Welcome to the English website of Hypersomnolence Japan, a non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness and advocating for people living with hypersomnolence and related conditions.
We support individuals affected by any medical condition that causes excessive sleepiness.
Our mission is to raise awareness of all medical conditions that cause excessive sleepiness, promote public understanding, reduce discrimination, and strengthen connections with medical and research communities.
We are a volunteer-run, non-profit organization, and we do not generate any financial profit from our activities.
Our History
In 2011, our director, Marina Kojima, founded the first organization focused on central hypersomnolence other than narcolepsy. Until then, no other organization in Japan specifically addressed hypersomnia caused by central nervous system dysfunctions other than narcolepsy.
Prior to 2017 we were an unofficial support group mainly communicating via services such as LINE or Twitter and held on-line meetings for patients to gather together and talk about their issues and experiences.
Some patients created advertisement and brochures to raise awareness about Hypersomnia & Long Sleepers while others spoke with the government to convince them to include sleep disorder patients in the Japanese social welfare system.
In 2017, the organization was officially registered with the Japanese government as the Hypersomnia & Long Sleeper Support Organization JAPAN.
In 2021, our director, Marina Kojima, along with other members, left the Hypersomnia & Long Sleeper Support Organization JAPAN and decided to establish Hypersomnolence Japan and the Hypersomnolence Support Network Japan.
In 2022, we officially registered in Tokyo as a non-profit organization (NPO) under the name Hypersomnolence Support Network Japan.
Our Members
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Idiopathic Hypersomnia
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Kleine-Levin Syndrome / Recurrent Hypersomnia
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Narcolepsy
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Long Sleeper Syndrome
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Insufficient Sleep Syndrome
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Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorders
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Developmental Disorders (e.g., ADHD, ASD)
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Orthostatic Intolerance (OI) and Related Conditions (e.g., POTS, OD)
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Myalgic Encephalitis and Related Conditions (e.g., post-infectious chronic fatigue, Long COVID)
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Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome / Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder
Our Activities
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Create website content in Japanese
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Give advice to those who are looking for a doctor in Japan
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Create and distribute awareness material to schools, hospitals and health clinics in Japan
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Hold online support groups and events; discussing issues, challenges and experiences in Japanese
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Lobby the Government to get recognition under social welfare including; handicapped license approval, financial support for medicine and reduced doctor fees in Japan
For International Support
As none of our team members are native English speakers, our direct patient support primarily focuses on individuals living in Japan. However, we also provide a range of services for international audiences.
Our current international support includes:
1. Distribution of Posters, Brochures, and Cards
Through our connections with international patients and support groups, we recognized a strong need for accessible poster, brochure, and card designs. To help meet this need, we freely share our designs with patients and organizations worldwide.
2. Translation Services
We offer free translation services for materials related to our support activities. If your international organization would like a website, infographic, poster, or brochure translated into Japanese, please contact us. Our in-house designer can also assist with design adjustments—just provide the editable files, and we will handle the rest.
3. Support for Research
For international research organizations, we can provide access to Japanese patient data and organize patient registration in Japan to support research collaborations.
4. Raising Awareness of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders in Sleep Medicine
We believe we are the first organization in the world to focus on the sleep-related symptoms of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders (HSD). Based on our experience, we strongly believe these conditions should be recognized by sleep specialists as being as important as Narcolepsy and sleep apnea. To help promote this awareness, we are reaching out to international organizations and networks to share information and encourage recognition of these conditions.
If you are interested in collaborating with us, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Director Marina KOJIMA
CONTACT US
We have full-time English speaking staff.
You can send your message in English.
We aim to do our hypersomnia raise awareness campaign or other activities internationally.
We are happy to have connection with overseas organisation.
*Please note, our patients support is limited to Japan.
Looking forward your contact.
You can also send Email from here