'Randoseru' backpacks a rite of passage for Japan's 1st graders, and options are growing

The Mainichi

22-06-2025

TOKYO -- Getting a "randoseru" school backpack just before entering grade one is a major childhood milestone in Japan, and choosing just the right one to last the entire six-year span of elementary school is a weighty decision. In recent years, that decision has been getting earlier and earlier, the peak now stretching back all the way to May -- almost a full year before the child sets foot in their new school for the first time in April. Or put another way, the most frenzied randoseru-hunting season for the 2026 school year just ended last month.
However, while the randoseru-purchasing wave has already crested, there remain diverse options beyond summer, even including backpack subscription services.
Peak during Golden Week holiday period
First, let's revisit what this year's randoseru-hunting looked like during its peak. From May 2 to 7, during Japan's Golden Week holiday period and the height of the school backpack shopping season, the "Isetan Randoseru Festival 2026" was held at the Isetan department store in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward. While the store offers up to about 120 randoseru year-round, during the festival, the display expanded to about 900 backpacks.
Previously, August was the peak time for purchases, including grandparents buying randoseru during the mid-month Bon holiday period. Though Isetan used to hold a backpack sales event that season, the "festival" has been moved up to Golden Week over the past eight years, following the early buying trend.
A Tokyo woman in her 30s, who visited the Isetan festival on the first day with her husband and 6-year-old son after dropping her infant son at day care, explained, "A mom with a child older than mine told me to start looking early because popular colors sell out quickly. I started searching online in February, and some people I know bought theirs in March."
Clearance sales, online shopping and flea market apps
Traditionally, boys' randoseru were black and girls' were red, but now a variety of colors are available. Handmade limited editions known as "workshop" models are also popular.
The early start of backpack hunting is said to be driven by parents' desire to secure popular ones before they sell out. A randoseru industry association survey targeting 1,500 people with children entering elementary school in April 2025 found that May 2024 was the most common purchase month at 20.3%, with nearly half (47.1%) buying between December 2023 and June 2024.
For the remaining half, what does randoseru hunting look like? Many still purchase in August, the previous peak, accounting for 13.9% in 2024. Many manufacturers and supermarkets offer "early purchase discounts" into August and September.
Some stores hold clearance sales in winter, also attracting buyers. However, popular colors are scarce by this time, and there may not be any sales. Other options include online shopping and acquiring unused backpacks cheaply on flea market apps.
When those with children entering elementary school in April 2025 were asked where they had gone to look for a randoseru before making a final decision, the most common response was "general merchandise stores, large supermarkets or malls" at 40.3%. This was followed by "department stores" at 17.9%, "manufacturers or wholesale websites" at 17.7%, "shopping websites" at 14.5%, "specialty bag stores" at 13.1% and "sales corners at exhibitions or other occasions" at 12.9%.
Alternatives to purchasing
There are also alternatives to purchasing. In February 2023, Osaka-based Rands launched a subscription service, delivering user-selected backpacks from about 250 types to homes. The service offers two plans: "subscription standard" for 2,970 yen (around $20) per month, allowing exchanges every four months, and "subscription plus" for 4,950 yen ($34) per month, allowing monthly exchanges. After two years of using the same backpack, users can pay a 3,300-yen ($23) fee to keep it. Additionally, there are rental plans without exchanges, such as 8,800 yen ($60) for 60 days or 11,000 yen ($76) for 90 days.
According to the randoseru association, the average purchase price for children entering elementary school in April 2025 was 60,746 yen ($419).
While using the subscription standard plan for only two years costs 71,280 yen ($492), which is higher than the average purchase price, Rands public relations head Akira Shoyama said, "You can try various randoseru while keeping initial costs low, and easily exchange them if your child's preferences change as they grow up."
The rental plan also serves families with children temporarily returning to Japan from overseas.
Attachment to subscription backpacks
A woman in her 30s living in Osaka Prefecture learned about the subscription service two years ago through a magazine. Her eldest daughter, now in fifth grade, expressed interest in trying a backpack with a white ribbon after seeing the website.
Her daughter had been using a pink one bought by her grandmother. Initially hesitant about the subscription, fearing that having two randoseru might lessen her daughter's appreciation for her belongings, the woman ultimately agreed to her request.
Her daughter has since tried backpacks in white, light purple, burgundy and mint green among other colors, but the mother's initial concern was unfounded. "She seems to develop an attachment to the subscription randoseru, just like the one given by her grandmother, and she looks sad when returning them. As she takes care of them with a cleaning cloth, I think she's learned to value her belongings."
The daughter continues to use both her grandmother's backpack and subscription ones, choosing based on her outfit and mood.
Lightweight, affordable ordinary-looking backpack options
Concerns about the weight of randoseru, typically made of leather, have led to the rise of lighter models. 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).
Apparel giant Beams has offered nonleather backpacks as part of its "Kodomo Beams" line since 2022. Director Asami Namura, noted, "Some start with them from the beginning, while others come to our stores to switch as they rise through the school grades."
A common reason for switching is the weight of leather randoseru. Namura's eldest daughter switched from her randoseru to one that looks like an ordinary backpack in third grade due to weight concerns. "Initially, it apparently piqued her friends' curiosity, asking, 'What is it?' but they soon got used to it, and she loves it," Namura explained.
Namura added, "I feel society is increasingly open to alternatives to traditional randoseru. I don't think randoseru will disappear, but recently there are various options such as subscriptions, second-hand ones and ordinary backpacks. In the future, more families might take their time to carefully consider their choice year-round."