Japan’s iconic backpack and its lasting culture

Every April, as the floating cherry blossom petals form a silky carpet on the road of sun decals, a series of children heading to Japanese schools, here known as Nyugakushiki. Among all kinds of neat jackets, gowns and shorts, the soon-to-be elementary school students always have one thing in common: oversized book bags.

name Randoseruthese iconic campuses are more than just tools for stationery and textbooks; they are cultural symbols that mark important rituals from early childhood to adolescence. Traditionally, Randoseru is usually red or black with square silhouettes – this look has remained the same for more than a century. Randoseru’s lasting existence is a tapestry of cultural and social factors, woven by the deep state’s dedication to harmony.

First graders who attended school in April 1950 are provided by Mainichi Shimbun

The History and Evolution of Randoseru

The military roots of accidents

The origin of the Randoseru backpack goes back to the Japanese army during the Edo era. When the shogunate implemented a Western military system, the Dutch backpack was called Backpack – Used to store soldiers’ property.

Military-grade backpacks appeared in the school environment, and the then famous Tokyo Institute of Education Gakushuin began to shape new ideals for students during the Meiji period. Gakushuin envisions classrooms as an equal place designed to reduce wealth differences among students through the Randoseru package.

Under the influence of Gakushuin, wealthy students are no longer allowed to commute to school in a carriage or go to school with servants carrying luggage. Instead, they transport their equipment on foot in a solid backpack. Therefore, the Randoseru campus was born.

New Standard

Randoseru had new significance when the future Prince Yoshihito received one from Prime Minister Ito Hirobumi in 1887, which marked the beginning of his formal education in Gakushin.

Initially, leather backpacks were considered luxury because they were too expensive for most families. It is often used by students in rural areas Furoshiki (Package cloth) bags as alternative. With Japan’s economic growth since the 1950s, Randoseru gradually became a national standard.

Randoseru’s profile and dimensions remain the same as the royal prototype for years. While today’s Randoseru products have a range of prices, colors and materials, their core principles (function and uniformity) are still the same.

Promote solidarity and independence

Voluntary uniform

Randoseru’s century-long presence in Japanese culture not only demonstrates a commitment to tradition, but also a dedication to achieve harmony through identicality. The most remarkable thing about Randoseru being an important part of the unified history of Japanese schools is that their adoption has never been performed in any official capacity. Everyone volunteers to buy bags.

According to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, there has never been a law that ruled its use. Of course, students are encouraged to wear backpacks for safety and convenience, but there is no requirement that they must carry Randoseru.

Harmonious price

So, why do parents do their best to get their children to school with randoseru? Yes, they are sturdy and spacious, but they are not easy to drag. The traditional leather randoseru is filled with supplies and weighs about 4.28 kg. Randoseru is also very expensive, with an average price of around 60,000 yen.

Despite the high price, families are prompted to splurge on Randoseru to keep up with social practices and help their children adapt. Typically, grandparents give students to them as they embark on a long formal education journey. There is even a search name: “rankatsu,” a form of abbreviationRandoseru Katsudoutransformed into “Randoseru activity”.

Rankatsu stress often stimulates discussions about income differences. The question is called “Randoseru Gap”, which is ironic, considering the bag’s initial task negates classroom classism. Some local governments have implemented Randoseru recycling programs to address the problem.

The Road to Independence

The durability of the bag directly involves one of the main reasons why its lasting appeal is: it follows a child in all six years of elementary school. This lifespan is indispensable to Randoseru’s power, not only due to long-term cost-effectiveness The lifespan of Randoseru bags is also closely related to their symbolic role in relation to independence to young children.

A new milestone brings new responsibilities: traveling to and from school alone, managing assignments and learning how to communicate and collaborate as individuals. By trusting children to take care of a valuable object, such as a randoseru bag, where parents and teachers quietly plant a seed of accountability that can help them thrive like young people.

Most importantly, Randoseru’s endurance in Japanese society formed a bond passed down from generation to generation. Grandparents couldn’t help but recall their exciting first day as they surrounded the colorful neat Randoseru.

In a brief season of hope and renewal, we can always rely on the familiar scenes of fresh-eyed children eagerly grabbing their Randoseru belts as they take the first step towards the future to remind us of the cycle of life in our minds.

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