Since 1995, when the first, non-governmental umbilical cord blood bank (CB bank) was created in Kanagawa prefecture, 9 local CB banks have been established in Hokkaido, Kanto, Tokai, Kinki and Kyusyu district. According to the experiences of organizing these local banks and of collecting the data of cord blood cell transplantation by 2 grant study groups, The Ministry of Health and Welfare is now creating national cord blood banking system, which will be opened in the coming April.