Part of what makes a good warrior is being able to think on your feet and repurpose materials to suit your own needs. That ethos is certainly evident in a new limited-edition backpack produced by ...

HAMAMATSU, Shizuoka -- A company here will launch a schoolbag that floats on water on March 1 to help protect children during water-related accidents and disasters, based on lessons learned from the ...

The start of the academic year in Japan's junior schools involves a host of new experiences for first-grade pupils. They need to get used to a piece of equipment that will be with them for every ...

Fact: Japanese gear companies appropriating vintage American outdoor designs is awesome, always. Okay, maybe that’s hyperbole, but it is undeniable that Japan has led the charge into the current trend ...

The Japanese academic year starts in spring, so it won’t be long until the new batch of first-graders head off to school carrying their boxy leather randoseru backpacks. It’ll be an emotional moment ...

MATSUYAMA -- As many junior and senior high schools in Japan are moving to introduce genderless uniforms, backpacks for elementary school children are also shifting to gender-neutral, with ...

""The Randoseru represents more than a century of dedication to perfection. In Japan, families trust this backpack with their most precious responsibility-their children-and that trust has been earned ...

The traditional Japanese primary-school child's backpack has become the surprising must-have souvenir for foreign visitors to Japan this year. Known locally as randoseru - from the Dutch word ransel ...

Sturdy leather bag known as randoseru can weigh 4-10kg when full, leaving students in pain and wanting something lighter It’s a familiar sight every weekday morning and afternoon all over Japan: ...

As Japanese junior school children start the new academic year, they will all be carrying a piece of equipment that has its roots in Europe but is now a rite of passage. Julian Ryall reports from ...