No rule requires Japan’s elementary school students to wear the boxy, bulky backpack known as the randoseru. But for nearly 150 years, nearly all of them have.

According to multiple manufacturers, leather randoseru typically weigh 900 to 1,500 grams, while nylon backpacks weigh 650 to 1,200 grams and the cheaper models cost less than 10,000 yen ($70).

For more than a half-century, Tsuchiya Bag has been handcrafting sturdy, comfortable, and timelessly appealing elementary-school backpacks designed to satisfy the pickiest parents and stand up to ...

Randoseru backpacks are a familiar sight in Japan, where they are universally associated with elementary school. Who would have imagined they would become a highly sought-after adult accessory ...

Both randoseru are just two of many impressive designs produced by the company, and they’re a remarkable display of just what can be achieved in the world of randoseru backpacks. Like any well-made ...

When you see a Japanese elementary school student — whether it’s in person, in a photo, or in a video — they’re more than likely sporting a boxy, leather randoseru backpack. These ultra-durable bags, ...

Nike Offers Latest Take on Iconic Backpack Worn by Elementary Schoolchildren in Japan: The "randoseru" is an essential part of early school life in Japan.

The start of the academic year in Japan's junior schools involves a host of new experiences for first-grade pupils. They need to get used to a piece of equipment that will be with them for every ...

Randoseru school backpacks are being made at Tsuchiya Kaban in Tokyo's Adachi Ward in time for school enrollment this spring. Craftsmen are combining about 150 parts and finishing them by hand ...

Eventually, it became known as the randoseru, from the Dutch word for backpack, "ransel." Two years later, in 1887, then Prime Minister Hirobumi Ito presented a randoseru to Prince Yoshihito.

Elementary school backpacks in various colors are seen at the "Isetan Randoseru Festival 2026," held at the Isetan department store in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward between May 2 and 7, in this photo ...