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 ...

Part of what makes the design of Japan’s randoseru rucksacks so iconic is how they blend stylishness, utility, and playfulness. Being crafted with high-quality leather and metal fittings lends them an ...

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 ...