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 taken on ...

Nearly every elementary school student in Japan carries a book bag known as a randoseru, a staple of Japanese childhood for close to 150 years. No one mandates that students use these backpacks, but ...

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 in the ...

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.

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, ...

As Japanese junior school children start the new academic year, they will all be carrying a piece of equipment that has its roots in Europe but is now a rite of passage. Julian Ryall reports from ...

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 six ...

Backpacks are indispensable items for Japanese elementary school children, and getting the right one means planning well in advance. Popular lines of the bags known as randoseru sell out more than six ...

Almost two years ago, Japan’s schoolkid backpacks took the world by storm, after Zooey Deschanel was spotted with a randoseru. The craze then spread across the world, with department stores even ...

The latest trend to adorn the backs of celebrities wasn’t born on the runway, but rather in the halls of Japanese elementary schools. That’s right: the ubiquitous randoseru is now a coveted fashion ...