Randoseru - The ultimate school bag

It is that time of the year when stores in Japan start displaying stuff that students need for a new school year. The school year begins in April but the school supplies go on sale just after New Year. 

Of the many things that need to be prepared before the school year begins, the RANDOSERU is the most important. What exactly is a Randoseru ?

Randoseru is a backpack which is used by the Elementary School students in Japan. It differs in many aspects when compared to the backpacks used by school students in other parts of the world. When we had just moved to Japan, I often wondered why most Elementary school students carried the same kind of bag ? Was it one more of the standard things that Japanese people did? Then I found out that this school backpack was initially launched in the Meiji period as a backpack for commissioned officers. After the war, the back was introduced in Government schools as a commuting bag and it has over the decades become the staple Elementary school backpack.  

The name Randoseru is derived from the Dutch word "Ransel" meaning a backpack.
Traditionally made of pure firm leather, about 70 % of the Randoseru these days are made of a synthetic material called Clarino that looks like leather.  

The Randoseru comes in a variety of colours - Pink, Red, Brown, Green, Blue, Navy Blue, Black , Purple and even in dual tones. Randoseru even come in cute versions with glittering stones and motifs for girls. There are Randoseru associated with popular anime characters and usually young children consider it 'cool' to own a particular style of Randoseru. Usually kids receive a shiny new Randoseru around the time they graduate from their kindergarten and prepare to enter Elementary school. Traditionally it is a gift to the child from the grandparents. 

In some conservative schools, the design and color are specified and students are forbidden from using Randoseru that do not meet the specified criteria. Typically girls use a red Randoseru while boys use Black. With parents these days being equally excited about the variety of Randoseru available, students do get to choose the more stylish versions.

A lot goes into the production of a Randoseru. A typical Randoseru usually has the following dimensions: 23 cm wide x 30 cm high and 18 cm deep. Manufacturing a Randoseru is not simple ! A lot goes into making this ultimate backpack.  It is usually handcrafted and usually has a single piece body which comprises 200 odd fittings which hold together die cut materials and urethane backing plates. The intricacies of the Randoseru are a combination of sturdiness and comfort. 

An empty Randoseru typically weighs between 1 -1.25 kgs and is large enough to hold A4 size files and books. The ultra light versions of the Randoseru weigh no more than 800 gms but then they cost a lot more too.  

But why does it have to be so complicated to make the Randoseru ? The answer is simple, the Randoseru is designed so that it lasts through the entire 6 years of a child's elementary school life. And it is meant to endure all the seasons too.A friend told me that most children hold on to their Randoseru beyond their Elementary school life as a souvenir of their carefree childhood. 

But what surprised me the most about the Randoseru is its cost. Most foreigners find its price exorbitant. While the price tag starts at about 7,000 yen, the prices do go up to 60,000 yen. This is the price at normal stores or on Online stores.  At high end departmental stores, the prices could be anywhere between USD 700-1000 depending on the brand and quality. An average family would settle down for a 30000 yen Randoseru. But then again, Japan is a country where Quality of a product is judged by the price tag- Higher the price, better the quality. 

These days, many schools and communities have been following traffic safety guidelines and have started distributing yellow plastic covers to drape over the Randoseru's top flap and is intended to increase the Randoseru's visibility to motorists. Since most Elementary school kids walk to and from school in groups, usually accompanied by just one adult from the neighborhood, this is important for their safety. 

Many students also attach safety reflectors, personal alarms, coin purses, mobile phone cases and small soft toys and key chains to their Randoseru. Some kids also use clear plastic covers that can be slipped over the bags to protect it from rain and snow.

These days the Randoseru is also gaining popularity outside Japan. A major contributor to this trend is the Randoseru also features in Japanese anime and Manga. The Randoseru is especially gaining popularity in South east Asian countries, but then almost every trend in Japan does get popular in the region thanks to the presence of Japanese department stores like Isetan, Takashimaya, Mitsukoshi. 

Graduation Ceremony : Moving on to a new phase of life

March in Japan, is special for many reasons. It is the month when the cold winter is about to end and Spring sets in bringing with it warm weather. It is also that time of the year again when the academic year is about to come to an end. For most students, it may be just the period of transition from one grade to another. But for those students who are about to graduate from Kindergarten, Elementary School, Middle School, High School and University, it is a very special phase of life. It is the time when they leave behind a part of their student life and embark on yet another phase of life. 

While Graduation or Commencement ceremonies are common across the world, the way the Japanese people treat it and prepare for it is especially impressive. And this holds true even for a Kindergarten graduation ! We got to experience it first hand in 2013, when our daughter graduated from Kindergarten.  

'Sotsuenshiki', as the kindergarten graduation ceremony is known in Japanese, is the very first graduation ceremony in the life of a person. As such the entire family and the teachers prepare for it in such fashion, that often the children themselves seem curious as what the fuss is all about. While the children seem excited about 'growing up' and becoming the 'cool First grader' (Kakkoii Ichinensei, in Japanese), they don't seem to be too excited about the graduation ceremony and as such it is the responsibility of their parents and teachers to prepare them for this great event ! The teachers speak about the ceremony a few weeks before the big day to mentally prepare the kids for it. The mother's speak about it and plan what the family will wear to the ceremony. The teachers and sometimes the PTA at school which usually comprises the mothers' get together and plan how to make the ceremony special. In my daughter's kindergarten, the mothers' including me, met a couple of times to plan a party to follow the graduation ceremony at school. After the plans were made, contributions were collected and work was distributed. And last but not the least, a day or two before the ceremony, children and teachers enact and rehearse their part for the ceremony. 

Finally after weeks of preparation, the Big Day of the graduation arrives. Usually the ceremony is held at the kindergarten. 

The names of the graduating students is displayed on a board at the entrance. The kindergarten hall is decked up and at the appointed time families arrive at the venue. Some teachers wear a kimono, while some prefer dressing in western formal attire. Some kindergartens have a uniform or dress code for the children, while others leave it to the family's discretion as long as it is a formal dress. 

Our daughter's kindergarten was associated with a Buddhist temple and as such most of their events always began with a prayer.

This was followed by a speech by the Head Priest, who also happens to be the head of the school.

 After this the children and teachers sang the school anthem and songs in Japanese and English.

Our daughter's kindergarten had two classes - a Japanese kindergarten class and  an international kindergarten class. Both the classes were graduating on this day, making it a long event. After this the "Shojo" - the Certificate of Graduation was handed out to each student on the podium. 

The child then walked down the stage, to the centre of the hall where a parent was waiting to receive the Shojo. After this the child returned to his/her seat with the rest of the children and the parent returned to the viewers seating area. This was followed by another speech by the Principal, emphasising that the students should always remember the good times with friends and teachers at the kindergarten and also never forget the good things they had learned in their three years at the kindergarten. This was followed by the kids singing a thank you song to the school teachers. They also sang a famous Japanese graduation song.  

And with this the ceremony came to an end. And finally some of the children realised that they would be going to different schools and not get to meet their friends every day. And then the crying began, only to be joined by the emotional teachers and parents. 

Usually the kindergarten graduation ceremony is followed up with a Graduation cum Farewell party. In our case, the party was arranged at a popular Hotel's banquet hall and all of us along with the teachers and principal went to the party. At this party, teachers and the principal were honored with gifts and memorial photo books that the mothers' had prepared. 

And this was followed by singing more songs and lunch. The party came to an end with the teachers and children hugging each other and bidding tearful farewell. 

On the day of the ceremony , some parents' appear more emotional than the graduating kids themselves! Most mothers' seem to be on the verge of tears. And why not, with their children graduating from the kindergarten, the mothers' would perhaps not meet so often as well ! Most of the kids would continue to live in the same city, the children would attend an elementary school close to their locality and as such most kids would not go to the same school. 

Personally for my family, this was an unique experience. We got to experience yet another event in the life of a Japanese family ! 

Entrance Ceremony: Beginning of a New School Year

Come April and lot of changes take place in Japan. Almost anything new and important begins on or after 1^st April. The arrival of spring also marks the beginning of the new fiscal year and also the beginning of a new school year.

Back in my country, the beginning of the school year is not marked by any ceremony. In Japan, however the new school year is marked with a special “Entrance” ceremony. Personally I liked this concept as students look forward to the beginning of the new academic year and it is always good to make the first day enjoyable, especially for new students who would otherwise be slightly nervous on their first day in a new setting.  

Entrance ceremonies are usually held across Japan in early April. These ceremonies are held in all schools- right from Kindergartens to High School. In kindergartens, these ceremonies are called “Nyuuenshiki” while in Elementary to High schools these are called “Nyuugakushiki”.

Typically these ceremonies are held in the school gym and are attended by the students and their families. The children dress in their school uniforms while parents dress formally. Few parents also dress up in their colourful kimonos. Some times grandparents also participate in the Entrance ceremony.In a typical ceremony, the old students and the parents are seated in the gym and the new students march in to a round of applause, welcoming them. The principal of the school then addresses the gathering, with encouraging words for the students. Then the homeroom teachers are introduced. Then PTA members or other teachers/ student representatives may also make short speeches. The ceremony ends with the students singing the school song. After this the students are led to their new classrooms by their teachers who then brief the students about the various activities lined up in year ahead. Commemorative class pictures are then taken which marks the end of the first day of the school. 

This week, we too attended an “Nyuuenshiki”- entrance ceremony at our daughter’s kindergarten. Her school is managed by a Buddhist temple and the entrance ceremony here includes certain Buddhist rituals. 

The school gym podium had a Buddhist altar in the centre. 

At one end was a wooden Elephant with a small Buddha statue on it.  

At the entrance to the gym, scrolls carrying names of each the students in calligraphy were put up.

The ceremony began with the principal and three children dressed in traditional attire walked up the podium, bowed before the altar, placed flowers and lit candles. 

This was followed by everyone bowing in prayer. Then the principal made a speech welcoming the students to a new year. Then a Buddhist priest addressed the gathering and said encouraging words to the children.

 This was followed by all the children singing the school song. The Japanese course students sang in Japanese while the International course students sang in English. After this the homeroom teachers and the English teachers were introduced. 

The school bus drivers were also introduced. Then two priests walked up the podium for the blessing ritual. The children walked up to the podium and each one was blessed with sprinkling of holy water. 

Then a PTA member addressed the gathering. After this the ceremony concluded and the children were led to their classrooms by their teachers, followed by their parents. The children played in their playrooms, while the teachers briefed the parents about the year ahead. Activity calendar for the year, important announcements and the bus schedules were handed out. After this we all walked back to the gym where commemorative group picture of the students,teachers and parents were clicked. After this we all went home, the children bidding goodbye to their friends, enthusiastic about going back to school the next day.  

Our 5 year old daughter, attends the International course at a local Kindergarten (Kuhonji Kindergarten in Iwaki city) and it is an interesting mixture of Japanese and International (basically American) education. The children get to learn both Japanese culture and language along with English and western culture. End of the day, she (and through her, we) gets to learn a lot about Japanese customs, traditions, festivals and language along with improving her English.