This article describes Japanese school bags called Randoseru. This is essential to see for anyone who wants to know the price, color, and size of school bags that are actually sold in Japan. We also introduce the famous Randoseru brands in Japan. It will be helpful for those who are investigating “Japanese backpack” and “Japanese school bag”.
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What is a Randoseru?
A Randoseru is the name of a school bag used by Japanese elementary school students. The use of Randoseru is not required by Japanese law. However, even now, most elementary school students in Japan use a Randoseru for their school bags and go to school.
In Randoserus, put the textbooks and stationery used for the day. Due to the influence of Japanese animation, many people may imagine a Randoseru with a recorder. Actually, there is no gap at the top of the current Randoserus, so you can not insert the recorder. Instead, day by day, Randoserus are evolving, with the spread of Randoseru’s space with recorder cases.
History of a Randoseru
The prototype of Randoseru is a backpack for the Japanese military. Japan used to trade with the Netherlands. It is said that the origin of Randoseru was the use of Dutch backpacks when introducing the Western-style military system. The name Randoseru is a unique name in Japan that is a variation of the Dutch word “ransel”.
It is said that the origin of the use of Randoseru as a school bag, was adopted by the school attended by the royal family around 1858. Before the war, leather Randoseru was luxurious luxury items, so inexpensive cloth shoulder bags were used by the general public. By the time it began to spread gradually, synthetic leather was also used, and its color and size changed according to the trending and the times.
What is the color of a Randoseru?
In Japanese elementary schools, the color of Randoserus has long been black for boys and red for girls. However, from the beginning of the 2000s, it will be an era where you can choose colors according to your personality and taste. Currently, there are many color variations such as pink, green, and light blue, and the color image by gender is fading.
What is the size of a Randoseru?
| A4 textbook size | Width 21.5 cm x length 29 cm approximately |
| A4 Clear file size（Only horizontal） | Width 22cm×length 30cm approximately |
| A4 Clear file size（Vertical and horizontal） | Width 22cm×length 31cm approximately |
| A4 Flat file size | Width 23cm×length 31cm |
There are mainly four types of Randoserus.
Can adults use a Randoseru?
In Japan, Randoserus have a strong image of being used only by elementary school students. However, as American actress Zooey Deschanel wore it, some manufacturers have made Randoserus for adults. It is beginning to attract attention as part of the business scene and fashion.
Where can we buy a Randoseru in Japan?
When buying a Randoseru in Japan, you should visit a department store or a showroom of a manufacturer. It is located not only in famous tourist spots such as Kyoto, Osaka, and Akihabara in Tokyo, but all over Japan. Of course, you can also buy it at the online shop.
The important thing is the time of purchase. In Japan, people will prepare for the entrance ceremony of the elementary school starting in April from a year ago. The peak purchase time is from May to June. At this time, exhibitions of many manufacturers and workshops are held, and the stock is stocked well, so you can purchase the school bag you are looking for with high probability. However, please note that custom-made school bags are made to order.
After August, which is the summer vacation of Japanese schools, new and popular models are sold out. There will be fewer types to choose from, but it’s time for Randoseru’s sales floor to become less crowded. If you want to choose slowly at the store and buy on the spot, you should visit Japan after the peak.
How much is a Randoseru?
A cheap synthetic leather Randoseru costs 10,000 to 30,000 yen, and a Randoseru made of expensive natural leather costs 100,000 yen. The price range of the most purchased Randoseru in Japan is around 40,000 to 70,000 yen.
Why is a Randoseru expensive?
The biggest factor is that a Randoseru is designed for the child’s body. At elementary schools in Japan, students need to carry textbooks weighing about 1 to 2 kg around for 6 years, so a Randoseru needs to be durable and easy to store notebooks.
A Randoseru fits snugly on the body by the shoulder belt and the cushion on the back, so that the center of gravity of the luggage is higher than the waist and works directly below. It is expensive due to the development cost of carefully calculated Japanese craftsmanship so that you can feel the lightest weight when you pack the textbooks inside.
Famous Randoseru brand
Seiban （セイバン）
Seiban’s popular series is “Angel’s Wing”. By lifting the shoulder belt to fit the Randoseru to the body, the center of gravity of the luggage that has been lowered is distributed near the body. Therefore, the Randoseru feels light and is popular. Seiban also sells models in collaboration with PUMA.
Hashimoto（ハシモト）
Hashimoto’s Randoseru “Fit-chan” has the characteristics of adopting the patented Fit-chan back ring. The back ring lifts the shoulder belt at a 25 degree angle, reducing the strain on the shoulders. It is popular not only because it doesn’t hurt your shoulders but also because you can maintain a good posture naturally.
Tutiyakaban（土屋鞄）
Tsuchiyakaban is known as “Adult randoseru”. The high quality of manual labor by craftsmen has a good reputation among Japanese businessmen. Its feature is that the texture of leather differs depending on the color. High-quality leather randoserus that have been changed the processing technology for each color are popular.
In conclusion
What was your impression of Randoseru? When you visit Japan, please take a look at Randoserus at the store. If you don’t have a chance to visit Japan, you can order it online.
