Randoseru
26-01-2009
www.dannychoo.com Views 297
image ID#24329 When I first started to follow Japanese culture, I saw these bags in anime, manga, J Dorama and in magazines. I then came over to Japan and started to wonder why all the kids had one and why there were all the same shape n size. These bags are known as "Randoseru" [ランドセル] which is the Japanese pronunciation of the Dutch word "Ransel" meaning "Backpack" and are used by elementary school children in Japan. They were first introduced into Japan as a backpack for commissioned officers in the imperial army during the Meiji period. The Randoseru was then introduced into governmental schools as the standard commuting bag. image ID#24330 A randoseru is a compulsory school item that ones grandparents usually buy for their grandchildren and usually cost 2 kidneys and a bladder - take this one for example - 57,750 yen! The most expensive randoseru that I've been able to find online costs 165,900 yen from Rakuten. Most randoseru are made from sturdy leather. Some are made of leather-like material but still cost a bomb. image ID#24331 Some "NASA" randoseru developed in space? These ones going for a bit cheaper at 43,050 yen. Most kids usually have one randoseru that lasts them throughout their 6 years in elementary school - given that and the fact that most schools make it compulsory, grand/parents don't really have a choice but pay such high prices. Once the market price for something has been set over here, as people expect to pay that sum, there is no reason to charge less. Its like dakimakura. One manufacturer who I know told me how he felt a bit guilty selling dakimakura for the normal retail price of 12,000 yen when production cost is only 2,000 yen. image ID#24332 Traditionally, the boys carry black and girls carry red randoseru. The empty weight is over a kilo and I've seen kids which randoseru stuffed with a ton of text books. This randoseru costs 57,750 yen. image ID#24333 More standard color randoseru. Some modern school these days dont enforce use of the randoseru but those are still the minority. Some schools have their own issued randoseru with the school emblem seal on the bag. Some schools make first year elementary school children cover their randoseru with a yellow reflective cover to make them stand out while they commute to school. That was another interesting thing I found about Japan - small school kids traveling on their own on the trains - never saw that back in London. Do kids travel safely on their own in your neck of the woods? image ID#24334 So I thought I'd spend 120,000 yen on one because Rinn from Kodomo no Jikan has one (not). My brother in law's daughter was raised in Japan but has been back in China for a few years now. Shes staying with us for a few weeks and gets to go to a Japanese elementary school for two weeks. Not sure what type of program it is though. Our next door neighbors loaned us their randoseru that their eldest daughter used for 6 years and I thought I'd inspect it. image ID#24335 Apart from a few creases here n there, the randoseru is still in pretty good condition. An ad for Tenshi no Hane randoseru below. image ID#24336 Bottom of the randoseru. Another randoseru ad this time featuring half Japanese/British Becky-chan. image ID#24337 Inside - has a tough plastic base with visible screws that hold the metal bit to the bottom of the bag. image ID#24338 A few pockets at the front for figmas. image ID#24339 This is what my neice has inside for today's first day at school - not sure about the heavy books as shes over here for only two weeks. image ID#24340 Sturdy straps to last the many years at elementary school. image ID#24341 Rin and her randoseru. So now we know how much it costs to buy a randoseru for elementary school children, I thought we'd look at how much it costs to send children to school in Japan. Kindergarten (3 years - public): 729,962 yen Kindergarten (3 years - private): 1,611,457 yen Elementary (6 years - public): 2,003,070 yen Elementary (6 years - private): 8,240,327 yen Junior High (3 years - public): 1,414,387 yen Junior High (3 years - private): 3,800,593 yen High School (3 years - public): 1,561,758 yen High school (3 years - private): 3,131,439 yen Total for all public (15 years): 5,709,177 yen Total for all private (15 years): 16,783,816 yen University is not compulsory but for those wishing to go would spend an average of 5,000,000 yen for the 4 years. And then there are International schools. Many gaijin comrades prefer to send their kids to a school where there are other gaijin and the way kids are taught is different from the standard - this costs them 2,500,000 yen each year. I knew somebody at Microsoft who went back to Seattle because he didn't want his kids brought up on Japanese education but could not afford the annual fixed cost of that 2,500,000 yen. Back in the UK, I remember all of my schooling being free - even university back then was free - to top that off, they even gave me money each term to help with my studies. I remember buying a 600 pound VCR which could play PAL and NTSC VHS tapes - NTSC needed to watch the Japanese videos. I heard things are not so rosy in the UK now and that they charge for university? I took a BA at London University SOAS. So what is it like in your region then? Does it cost a bomb to send kids to school or is it free? This article references details at the following sites:- http://life.nttif.com/gakushi/chishiki/column/chishiki03.html http://allabout.co.jp/finance/ikujimoney/closeup/CU20080101A/index2.htm Wikipedia Japanese Wikipedia English. Akihabara News - Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe) Japan Probe - Japan news and entertainment (Subscribe) Kirainet.com - A geek in Japan (Subscribe) View the full sized images/comments for this item at dannychoo.com Feel free to join/add Danny Choo and see what else the little bugger is up to in his other networks.
image ID#24329 When I first started to follow Japanese culture, I saw these bags in anime, manga, J Dorama and in magazines. I then came over to Japan and started to wonder why all the kids had one and why there were all the same shape n size. These bags are known as "Randoseru" [ランドセル] which is the Japanese pronunciation of the Dutch word "Ransel" meaning "Backpack" and are used by elementary school children in Japan. They were first introduced into Japan as a backpack for commissioned officers in the imperial army during the Meiji period. The Randoseru was then introduced into governmental schools as the standard commuting bag. image ID#24330 A randoseru is a compulsory school item that ones grandparents usually buy for their grandchildren and usually cost 2 kidneys and a bladder - take this one for example - 57,750 yen! The most expensive randoseru that I've been able to find online costs 165,900 yen from Rakuten. Most randoseru are made from sturdy leather. Some are made of leather-like material but still cost a bomb. image ID#24331 Some "NASA" randoseru developed in space? These ones going for a bit cheaper at 43,050 yen. Most kids usually have one randoseru that lasts them throughout their 6 years in elementary school - given that and the fact that most schools make it compulsory, grand/parents don't really have a choice but pay such high prices. Once the market price for something has been set over here, as people expect to pay that sum, there is no reason to charge less. Its like dakimakura. One manufacturer who I know told me how he felt a bit guilty selling dakimakura for the normal retail price of 12,000 yen when production cost is only 2,000 yen. image ID#24332 Traditionally, the boys carry black and girls carry red randoseru. The empty weight is over a kilo and I've seen kids which randoseru stuffed with a ton of text books. This randoseru costs 57,750 yen. image ID#24333 More standard color randoseru. Some modern school these days dont enforce use of the randoseru but those are still the minority. Some schools have their own issued randoseru with the school emblem seal on the bag. Some schools make first year elementary school children cover their randoseru with a yellow reflective cover to make them stand out while they commute to school. That was another interesting thing I found about Japan - small school kids traveling on their own on the trains - never saw that back in London. Do kids travel safely on their own in your neck of the woods? image ID#24334 So I thought I'd spend 120,000 yen on one because Rinn from Kodomo no Jikan has one (not). My brother in law's daughter was raised in Japan but has been back in China for a few years now. Shes staying with us for a few weeks and gets to go to a Japanese elementary school for two weeks. Not sure what type of program it is though. Our next door neighbors loaned us their randoseru that their eldest daughter used for 6 years and I thought I'd inspect it. image ID#24335 Apart from a few creases here n there, the randoseru is still in pretty good condition. An ad for Tenshi no Hane randoseru below. image ID#24336 Bottom of the randoseru. Another randoseru ad this time featuring half Japanese/British Becky-chan. image ID#24337 Inside - has a tough plastic base with visible screws that hold the metal bit to the bottom of the bag. image ID#24338 A few pockets at the front for figmas. image ID#24339 This is what my neice has inside for today's first day at school - not sure about the heavy books as shes over here for only two weeks. image ID#24340 Sturdy straps to last the many years at elementary school. image ID#24341 Rin and her randoseru. So now we know how much it costs to buy a randoseru for elementary school children, I thought we'd look at how much it costs to send children to school in Japan. Kindergarten (3 years - public): 729,962 yen Kindergarten (3 years - private): 1,611,457 yen Elementary (6 years - public): 2,003,070 yen Elementary (6 years - private): 8,240,327 yen Junior High (3 years - public): 1,414,387 yen Junior High (3 years - private): 3,800,593 yen High School (3 years - public): 1,561,758 yen High school (3 years - private): 3,131,439 yen Total for all public (15 years): 5,709,177 yen Total for all private (15 years): 16,783,816 yen University is not compulsory but for those wishing to go would spend an average of 5,000,000 yen for the 4 years. And then there are International schools. Many gaijin comrades prefer to send their kids to a school where there are other gaijin and the way kids are taught is different from the standard - this costs them 2,500,000 yen each year. I knew somebody at Microsoft who went back to Seattle because he didn't want his kids brought up on Japanese education but could not afford the annual fixed cost of that 2,500,000 yen. Back in the UK, I remember all of my schooling being free - even university back then was free - to top that off, they even gave me money each term to help with my studies. I remember buying a 600 pound VCR which could play PAL and NTSC VHS tapes - NTSC needed to watch the Japanese videos. I heard things are not so rosy in the UK now and that they charge for university? I took a BA at London University SOAS. So what is it like in your region then? Does it cost a bomb to send kids to school or is it free? This article references details at the following sites:- http://life.nttif.com/gakushi/chishiki/column/chishiki03.html http://allabout.co.jp/finance/ikujimoney/closeup/CU20080101A/index2.htm Wikipedia Japanese Wikipedia English. Akihabara News - Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe) Japan Probe - Japan news and entertainment (Subscribe) Kirainet.com - A geek in Japan (Subscribe) View the full sized images/comments for this item at dannychoo.com Feel free to join/add Danny Choo and see what else the little bugger is up to in his other networks.
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