Randoseru originated in the late Edo period, when the Western-style military system was introduced in Japan, and it was gradually developed by borrowing from the Dutch-style rucksack. In 1887, when the crown prince entered elementary school, it is said that the then Prime Minister Hirobumi Ito gave the crown prince a custom-made leather box as a gift for entering school, which became the prototype of the current Japanese hard school bag.
 
When it comes to the brand's intricate Japanese hard school bags, we have to mention Seiban. Founded in 1919, it is the largest school bag manufacturer in Japan, accounting for about 50% of the market share of children's school bags in Japan in 2016, and has long occupied the top spot in the ranking of major school bag brands.
 
Known for their meticulous hand-crafting and durability, most Japanese brand bags are finished by hand, with artisans combining the single-piece body and about 200 accessories through a number of processes such as crimping, machine sewing and gluing, and the bag can support a child's basic education for up to six years. Seiban also adheres to the tradition of handcrafting, mainly using Clario artificial leather, the most widely used material for children's school bags in Japan, which is cheaper, more durable and lighter than natural leather.
 
In order to maintain the shape and sturdiness of the bag, Japanese brand manufacturers generally fill the upper cover and other four sides of the bag with an anti-deformation plate, and the material is mostly resin, rather than the "steel plate" as rumored in China. Seiban uses PET core material on the inside of the bag, which is a common resin material with excellent toughness, impact strength and abrasion resistance. The reinforced design of the bag has an opening to prevent damage and shape collapse, and the corners are double-reinforced to prevent friction such as the corners, improving the overall sturdiness and durability of the bag.
 
Seiban's popularity in Japan is inseparable from its elaborate design, which is best known for its Angel Wings school bag. "Angel wings" refers to the shoulder strap design, the back of the bag has two rear cranks connected to the left and right, so the two shoulder straps can always open and close at the same angle, like angel wings, so that the center of gravity of the bag can always be kept in the center of the body. The shoulder straps are made of resin and distributed in the shape of a spring, so that the bag fits more closely to the child's back and distributes the load. In addition, the Seiban bag is made of elastic polyurethane for the back cushion material, which is comfortable to carry and airy. The middle is a concave design, which conforms to the curve of the human spine and better protects the child's spine.
 
Japanese products are known for their finesse, even if it's a small school bag. Seiban has a tilt plate on the inside of the bag to stabilize the center of gravity, so that the book always falls on the back, preventing uneven weight bearing caused by deviation and movement of the textbook. The tilt plate can be easily removed for easy cleaning of the inside of the bag. Another detail of Seiban is the root of the shoulder strap, which is a special arched curved three-dimensional structure, so that the bag fits the body very well, even if the child carries the bag and runs, it will not increase the burden. The reflective material on the front and back of the bag ensures that children are more likely to be noticed when walking at night or in rainy weather.
 
Japan has uniform regulations on the style of schoolbags for elementary school students, and the size is basically 23*18*30cm (length * width * height), and the traditional appearance is black and red as the color of school bags for boys and girls. However, nowadays, the colors of various brands of school bags are more abundant, and the specifications are slightly different. Seiban bags are 26.5 x 20 x 33.5 cm in size and come in brown, blue and pink in addition to the traditional red and black, and can be decorated with Swarno crystals or delicate embroidery. There's also a collaboration between Converse and Puma, which brings the classic elements of the sports brand to a traditional hard school bag for a dynamic look.
 
Japanese hard school bags are sturdy and durable, but they are by no means perfect. In recent years, Japanese school bags have become popular among Chinese consumers because they are rumored to be shock-proof and drowning-proof, and have a GPS positioning system to ensure the safety of children. But in fact, the functions of school bags against shock and drowning are very limited, and Japanese school bag brands do not advertise and promise that their products have these functions. Japanese schoolbags do not have a GPS positioning system, and there are metal hooks on the left and right shoulder straps of the schoolbag.
 
In addition, large weight and small capacity are common problems with Japanese school bags. Japanese hard school bags weigh about 1.2 kilograms, which is not much different from the fabric school bags of German brands, but the space design is far less.
 
In view of the use of fine materials and handmade, the price of Japanese school bags is also relatively expensive, with a general price of about 40,000 yen (about 2,433 yuan). The Seiban classic Angel's Hane Classic series schoolbag is priced at 57,240 yen (about 3,508 yuan), the more novel leather schoolbag is priced between 48,000-78,000 yen, and the leather leather schoolbag is priced at 91,800 yen (about 5,627 yuan). Overall, Japanese rigid school bags are more suitable for parents with very large budgets in China to buy for preschool or lower grade children, and are by no means a practical choice for domestic middle and upper grade students.