Monday, June 1, 2009

Randoseru or School Back Pack in Japan

I saw this bag and was shocked with the price, so I grabbed my cell cam and took this photo :-)
The actual price of this school bag is 40,000 yen or $400+ with 5000 yen discount, so it's around $350 now but still expensive


These 2 bags are a bit cheaper than the first bag above, 13, 860 yen or $140. I think the price varies depending on the material some would cost as high as $850





I always notice the school bags of students here are uniform....WHY???



The two boys have different colors of backpack but the same style....WHY???

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After my keen observation and curiosity about this unusual backpack of Japanese students, I have to do something that will answer my queries hehehe..... so I searched google and found out that this backpack is called randoseru, and is used by elementary students.

According to wikipedia:

Randoseru- 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. It measures roughly 30 cm high by 23 cm wide by 18 cm deep, and features a softer grade of leather or material on those surfaces which touch the body. When empty, the average randoseru weighs approximately 1.2 kilograms (about 2 1/2 pounds avoirdupois). The term randoseru is a borrowed word from the Dutch "ransel" meaning "backpack", a clue to its origins nearly 200 years ago as used in the Netherlands.

The randoseru is the most universal and recognizable feature of the Japanese school uniform and is considered symbolic of the virtues necessary to obtain a good education—unity, discipline, hard work and dedication. Traditionally, the randoseru is red in colour for girls, black for boys.[2] While in more conservative schools the colour (and often the brand and design) is mandated and enforced, the backpack is available in a variety of colours, partly as a compromise for parents to retain some tradition within modernized schools which no longer require the use of traditional uniforms or of the randoseru.
Traditionally given to a child upon beginning their first year at school, the randoseru'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 as an accessory and the sentiment attached to it by many Japanese as symbolic of their relatively carefree childhood years.
The randoseru's durability and significance is reflected in its cost: a new randoseru made of genuine leather can carry a pricetag of over 30,000 yen, almost 300 US dollars, as May 2008 exchange rate. Clarino, a synthetic material frequently used as a substitute, reduces the cost somewhat. Often randoseru are available on auction sites, in new or used condition, at much lower prices, particularly after the start of the Japanese school year in April.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Still expensive for me :-)

8 comments:

RJ said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
RJ said...

Natalo yata ang mga informative posts ng randoseru bags-post mong ito Missy ah. U Pero ambigat?! 1.2kgs?! Huh!

(Mabigat pero) Matibay ang materials, nakakaabot ng kung ilang years. Bagay ito sa mga tulad kong mahilig mag-tago ng kung anu-anong mga bagay.

Parang nakarating na rin ako sa Japandahil sa post mong ito, Missy ah!


------
Ang talumpati ni Madamme Nunal (na siyang PEBA entry ko) ay nasa previous post ko: THE KEYNOTE ang pamagat nito. Sana magustuhan mo rin. U

Maraming salamat sa pagdalaw sa The Chook-minder's Quill! o",)

Anonymous said...

How very interesting and I can't believe some of the prices! Wow.

Ramadhani said...

nice blog
I have see many beautiful picture at your blog.
Great capture.
I will follow your blog and share many beatiful picture from all over the world.
Ramadhani-Indonesia

bertN said...

I have a Jansport daypack that travels with me all the time and it did not cost me more than $50. It has been with me for years, shares my travel experiences, bad and good, and still looks it has more years to go than I do LOL. It is, to me, worth more than $850 now(the highest price you saw for a bag) because of our shared experiences.

Missy said...

RJ- thanks for visitng my blog :-) and I hope you come back so you could see japan thru my blog :-)

Mildred- it's expensive huh? and I can't believe too that young children are using that expensive bag for 6 yrs :-)

Ramadhani- thanks for visiting and following your blog I will also add you in my list :-)

BertN- you can buy Jansport as much as you want and still will not be like $850 huh? and to think that these children are using the expensive bag :-) you know kids they don't know how to take care of expensive things :-)

Garando said...

Way too expensive! ...at least for Pinoy standards hehe. I think the bag I used in elementary only cost about $6... :D

Anonymous said...

I would reccomend a randoseru for EVERY age. The sizes vary. I have even seen one the size of a dvd box. Although I reccomend them, I don't have one. I have found really cheap ones that were around $50.00 used, but in great condition at ebay.