THE shopping season for traditional school backpacks for first graders in spring 2027 has begun early in department stores and supermarkets in Japan — more than a year before the children enter school.
The average price of “randoseru,” sturdy bags made to last throughout the six years of elementary school, is now about 1.7 times higher than it was 15 years ago, partly reflecting higher material costs and added features.
Typically, the search for randoseru starts as early as April of the previous year and peaks in May, with many parents and grandparents eager to secure popular models. Japan’s shrinking child population has now given them more money to spend on each child.
Over the years, parents and grandparents have become increasingly engaged in the early buying trend known as “ran-katsu”, a portmanteau of randoseru and “katsudo,” or activity,” in reference to the search for the box-like bags.
Kyodo
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