A randoseru (ランドセル) is a traditional Japanese backpack typically used by elementary school children. It is usually made of firm leather or similar, and is designed to be durable and long-lasting, often lasting throughout the six years of elementary school.
The randoseru has become a cultural symbol of childhood in Japan, characterised by its rectangular shape, structured design and (these days) often vibrant colours. Shopping for the randoseru is a ritual that starts as early as a year before a child enters first grade.
The word "randoseru" is derived from the Dutch word "ransel”, which means "backpack" or "satchel”, reflecting the influence of Western education systems on Japan during the late 19th century (the Meiji era), when the country transitioned from an isolated feudal kingdom to a modern nation navigating a new relationship with the outside world.
Even back then, influencers had something to do with the randoseru uptake. In 1885, Gakushuin, a school that educates Japan’s imperial family, designated as its official school bag the randoseru. From there, historians say, it quickly became Japan’s ubiquitous marker of childhood identity.
Traditionally, randoseru were only available in two colours: black for boys and red for girls. However, in recent years, a wider variety of colours, and even custom designs, have become popular. The Randoseru Association in Japan [Ed: Yes, it’s a thing] surveys randoseru purchasing every year, and in 2024: for boys, black is down to 51%, and lavender at 29% is the most popular colour for girls.
The basic design of the still-handmade randoseru remains standardised. A typical randoseru measures roughly 30cm high by 23cm wide by 18cm deep, and features a softer grade of leather or other material on those surfaces which touch the body. It’s a heavy bag for the little ones to carry on their backs. Even when empty, it weighs around 1.2 kilograms (2.6 pounds).
The randoseru's durability and significance is reflected in its cost. A new randoseru made of genuine or synthetic leather can carry a price tag of around ¥60,000 (US$400+).
More than a simple school bag, the randoseru continues to be a unique Japanese symbol of childhood, and something that continues to bind Japanese society.
In recent years, there are an increasing number of people outside Japan who know about randoseru through Japanese animation, manga, etc. and who purchase them as souvenirs when traveling to Japan – or, as per an often-cited 2014 example of randoseru cool involving American actor Zooey Deschanel, because they look nice.
Story Ideas: Melanie Giuffré
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References
wikipedia.org/wiki/Randoseru
timeout.com/tokyo/shopping/randoseru-the-new-it-bag
nytimes.com/2024/07/15/world/asia/japan-randoseru-backpack
randoseru.gr.jp/graph
Images
1. Traditional black randoseru school bag. Credit: designmadeinjapan.com
2. French infantry in 1914 with randoseru'esque backpack
3. A randoseru used in the Meiji era. Credit: The Gakushuin School
4. Randoseru in a 1938 magazine advertisement in Japan
5. Little ones with their randoseru. Photo credit: Tsuchiya
6. 2024 randoseru sales by colour for boys and girls. Credit: Randoseru Association
7. Inside a randoseru
8. Randoseru being made at Tsuchiya Kaban, a nearly 60-year-old randoseru manufacturer in Tokyo. Photo credit: Noriko Hayashi for The New York Times
9. Premium ¥84,000 (about US$570) randoseru made of synthetic leather on sale at Mitsukoshi department store in January 2008
10. Zooey Deschanel with red randoseru in New York, 2014. Photo: Splash/AfloActress
