Randoseru (Japanese School Backpack) Coloring Pages

Your Important Buddy for 6 Years! Randoseru (Japanese School Backpack)

The Randoseru (Japanese School Backpack) is a special bag that Japanese elementary school kids use every day. For six long years, rain or shine, it keeps your textbooks and notebooks safe. It is built very strong, so it stays with you until you graduate. It is a part of Japanese culture that you can be proud of to the world!

History and Evolution of the Randoseru (Japanese School Backpack)

The history of the Randoseru (Japanese School Backpack) goes back about 150 years ago to the Edo period. At first, it was a bag for soldiers in the army to carry their things. Let's see how it became the shape it is today!

• It Came from the Netherlands: In the Edo period, a backpack called a "ransel" came from the Netherlands. The name "Randoseru (Japanese School Backpack)" came from how "ransel" sounded to Japanese people.
• Used at Gakushuin Primary School: In the Meiji period, a school called Gakushuin cared about "fairness in learning." They banned coming to school by carriage or rickshaw, and made a rule to "carry your own things yourself." People liked it because it kept both hands free and was easy to carry.
• To the Box-Shaped Randoseru (Japanese School Backpack): At first, it looked like a cloth backpack. But in 1887, Prime Minister Hirobumi Ito gave a box-shaped leather Randoseru (Japanese School Backpack) as a school gift to the future Emperor Taisho. People say this became the direct model for today's Randoseru (Japanese School Backpack).
• Color Changes: A long time ago, black was for boys and red was for girls. But after the 2000s, people started making Randoseru (Japanese School Backpack) in many colors, like pink, blue, brown, and purple!

Secrets of Being Easy to Use

The Randoseru (Japanese School Backpack) has many amazing tricks hidden inside so you do not get tired, even with heavy things inside!

• Shoulder Straps: The top of the straps can move left and right. Thanks to this, even as your body grows, it fits your shoulders and spreads out the weight.
• Back Cushion: The part that touches your back is a soft cushion that lets air through easily. This keeps your back from getting sweaty in summer and stops it from hurting!
• Strong Materials: It uses cow leather or man-made leather (like Clarino). Man-made leather is light and blocks water, so you are safe even on rainy days! Fancy Cordovan is leather from a horse's bottom. It is a super strong material called the "diamond of leather."
• Reflectors: It has shiny stickers that bounce back light so cars can see you easily on dark roads. It is an important part that keeps you safe!

How to Choose Colors

When you color a Randoseru (Japanese School Backpack) coloring page, feel free to use your favorite colors or the colors you dream of having!

• Main Color: Recently, colors like navy blue, lavender, and mint green are also very popular. It looks stylish if you change the edge color to make a "two-tone color" Randoseru (Japanese School Backpack) too!
• Metal Parts: If you color the lock on the front flap and the belt buckles in gold or silver, it will look shiny and fancy just like a real one!
• Back Part: If you color the cushion that touches your back in white, pale pink, or pale light blue, it will look nice and soft.
• Embroidery: Some Randoseru (Japanese School Backpack) bags have embroidery like hearts, ribbons, or dragons. Feel free to draw and color your own!

Let's Show the Texture!

Try making your Randoseru (Japanese School Backpack) look shiny or show that it has been used for a long time.

• Add Shiny Highlights: Leave a little bit of white paper where the light hits. This makes it look like shiny leather!
• Stitches (Sewing Lines): Draw fine little dots along the edges of the Randoseru (Japanese School Backpack) in a different color from the main body. It will look super real!

Add Your Own Memories

Try drawing your favorite things around your Randoseru (Japanese School Backpack). Add a keychain or draw a safety buzzer to make it your very own special Randoseru (Japanese School Backpack). It is also fun to draw the Randoseru (Japanese School Backpack) open with textbooks and a pencil case popping out!

Tips for Enjoying Your Coloring Page!

It is totally okay to make a rainbow Randoseru (Japanese School Backpack) or one with space patterns on it! Have fun coloring it with a design that makes you think, "It would be so awesome if a Randoseru (Japanese School Backpack) like this really existed!"

The Name Comes from Dutch

The word "Randoseru" isn't Japanese or English. It started because the Dutch word for backpack, "ransel," sounded like "Randoseru" to Japanese people back then.

A Unique Culture Only in Japan

Elementary school kids all wearing matching boxy bags to school is a rare Japanese culture, even in the whole world. Now, people overseas love their cool design and strength, and some adults even use them as stylish bags!

Amazing Durability

Inside a Randoseru (Japanese School Backpack), there is a strong core. If you fall down, it acts like a cushion to stop you from hitting your head. Some are made so strong that they won't crush even if an adult sits on them!

A Magic Lock That Closes by Itself

Many Randoseru (Japanese School Backpack) made today have a feature called "One-Touch Lock." Just close the flap and push the metal part gently, and the lock turns automatically with a click. Now you don't have to worry about forgetting to lock it and having everything spill out when you bow!

Transforming into a "Mini-Randoseru" After 6 Years

There is a service that takes your Randoseru (Japanese School Backpack) after you graduate and turns it into a palm-sized "Mini-Randoseru." It keeps all the scratches and special memories from your 6 years, so you can display it even when you grow up.

The "Yellow Cover" That Keeps You Safe

First-graders often put a yellow cover on their Randoseru (Japanese School Backpack). This bright color is not just for traffic safety. It protects the bag from scratches, but its main job is to tell the adults around you, "I'm a first-grader and still getting used to walking here, so please watch over me gently."