Tag Archives: randoseru

Randoseru Giveaway! Get a genuine Japanese backpack

Posted on May 13, 2012 by Alice

NOTICE: FEB 27, 2015: I will have a few used randoseru available in March for anyone willing to pay the postage from Japan (maybe $30-$40 US depending on your location). Use the contact form on this blog to contact me … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventures in Columning, Life in Japan | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

‘Randoseru’ Recycling – New Life for Used School Backpacks

Posted on March 19, 2012 by Alice

It’s Randoseru Week here on the Gordenker blog, with posts to link up with my March 20 column in the Japan Times. In that article I report on the origin and history of randoseru, ランドセル the sturdy box-like backpack used … Continue reading →

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Backpacks of the World: Origin of “Randoseru”

Posted on March 19, 2012 by Alice

In my March 20 column in the Japan Times, I explain that the origin of the Japanese word “randoseru” ランドセル is a Dutch word: “ransel,” a military backpack used in the 19th century. As I demonstrated, the Dutch word had … Continue reading →

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The Making of a Randoseru ランドセルができるまで

Posted on March 19, 2012 by Alice

In my March 20 column in the Japan Times, I report that last year the average purchase price for a randoseru, the sturdy school bag used by Japanese schoolchildren, was ¥36,600 (about $438 at current exchange rates). One of the … Continue reading →

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