Randoseru

A randoseru (ランドセル) is a firm-sided backpack made of stitched firm leather or leather-like synthetic material, most commonly used in Japan by elementary schoolchildren.

However, compared to Japanese randoseru, such as Schulranzen [de] from Germany and Boekentas [nl] from the Netherlands, many of them are simpler and lighter in material.

[4] These varieties have existed since the 1960s but sold poorly due to the lock-step mentality of the education system that gradually began changing in the early 2000s.

Along with a wave of western reforms in the Japanese military, the Netherlands-style rucksack called ransel (ランドセル, randoseru) was introduced as a new way for the foot soldiers to carry their baggage.

The metal clip was introduced in the post-World War II period, as a means to carry lunch boxes, change of clothes for P.E., etc.

A randoseru is constructed of a single-piece body and around 200 fittings, a combination of die-cut materials and polyurethane backing plates.

[4] The bag's materials and workmanship are designed to allow the backpack to endure the child's entire elementary education (six years).

However, the care usually given to the randoseru throughout that time and afterwards can extend its life and preserve it in near-immaculate condition long after the child has reached adulthood, a testament to its utility and the sentiment attached to it by many Japanese as symbolic of their relatively carefree childhood years.