Would you pay €1,000 for a school backpack?

Since last week, the streets have regained a familiar sight: students hunched over under the weight of backpacks that often weigh more than half their own weight. At this time of year, parents wonder what the ideal backpack should be like: durable, ergonomic, and injury-preventing… not only for children, but also for the adults who all too often end up carrying them. In Japan, however, this debate has been settled for over a century, thanks to the randoseru, iconic backpacks that all boys and girls carry during primary schoolTheir price? It doesn't go below €300, and in some cases, it can go up to €2,000. It may seem crazy, but their history and design explain why they've become a true national symbol.

The term randoseru comes from the Dutch word ransel (hard backpack). This is no coincidence: during the Edo period (1603-1868), Japan maintained only one contact with the outside world through the Netherlands, from where it borrowed words and concepts. The origin of the randoseru It is not a school backpack, but a military one, since at the end of the 19th century the Japanese army adopted rigid backpacks inspired by European models as part of the modernization process.

The school's entry began in the 1880s, when the elitist Gakushūin school, linked to the imperial family, imposed the use of backpacks to foster discipline and equality. The decisive gesture came in 1887, when Crown Prince Yoshihito (the future Emperor Taishō) received one and carried it to class, causing a military object transformed into an aristocratic symbol to become a fashion and then a national standard.

The randoseru, in addition to being the result of a chain of cultural borrowings, is undoubtedly an example of perfect design. Its square, rigid body made of leather (or a high-quality synthetic material) keeps books organized, the large flap with magnetic closure makes it easy to use, the flat base prevents warping, the rounded corners prevent bumps, and the adjustable harness system distributes the weight ergonomically based on the center of gravity. It has an optimal capacity of 15 liters, breathable padding to reduce sweating, long-lasting metal closures, and reflective strips to make children visible. All of this is designed to last, in perfect condition, for the six years of primary school. Its reputation for durability is such that in 2009 one was sent to the International Space Station to demonstrate its durability in extreme conditions. Even in earthquake situations, children are taught to put them on as an improvised helmet to protect them from possible impacts. A use that has proven effective in emergencies, as it kept many children safe during the Great East Japan Earthquake (2011).

But the randoseru It's also a rite of passage: it's often given by grandparents when a child starts primary school, making it an object of great emotional value. It's also a symbol of discipline, equality, and belonging, without forgetting that, through its different qualities and prices, it allows for social differentiation.

So, is paying €300 for a backpack expensive? Perhaps it is, if we look at it as a simple container for books. But if we consider that it's an object that's thought out down to the smallest detail, that guarantees safety, that involves artisanal processes, that can save lives, and is made to last half a childhood... perhaps the price no longer seems so excessive. Perhaps what should surprise us is that we're still buying backpacks here, at an average price of €60, and that, in addition to straining our children's backs, they break in a single school year.