Randoseru
Randoseru (ランドセル) are stiff, leather backpacks used by Japanese elementary school children from ages 6 to 12.
They are exceptionally well-made and are expected to last for the whole of a child's elementary school education.
The range in price up to 800 USD for the very best made-in-Japan quality.
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| Randoseru |
The Name
The origin of the loan word randoseru is not clear. It may derive from the German Ranzen or Dutch ransel which both mean "backpack" or "satchel".
Another possibility is that the word comes from the German Landser or soldier as the Japanese backpack has some similarity to a Landser's equipment bag.
The practice of elementary children carrying randoseru began at the Gakushuin (学習院) or Peers School in Tokyo, at the time an elite institution for educating children from the highest levels of Japanese society.
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| Randoseru now come in a variety of colors, though black and red are standard |
Colors
Randoseru now come in a variety of colors but the standards are navy blue or black for boys and red for girls.
Yellow covers are sometimes seen over the backpack to protect them from the rain and also to increase visibility on roads where there are no sidewalks.
They can be found all year round in department stores but are often purchased in the spring before the school year begins in April.
Contact Us
The best randoseru are hand-made in a time-consuming process.
GoodsFromJapan has randoseru on sale or if you are looking for a specific color please contact us.
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| School satchels on sale in a department store |
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