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The story of Japanese school book bags began at Gakushuin school. Gakushuin originated as the school for the Imperial family and aristocrats. As such it was extremely influential. It is now one of Japan's most prestigious private schools. (One of HBC's Japanese consultants graduated from Gakushuin junior and senior high school.) Gakushuin in 1885 prohibited their students coming to school by horse carriage. When the boys then had to come to school on foot they needed the bags to carry their books. This is the beginning of randoseru in Japan. The original Randoseru were made from cloth. Actually the model for it was the shoulder bag worn by Japanese army soldiers. Randoseru made from leather quickly appeared in 1887. Hirobumi Ito, the first prime minister in Japan, gave the prince a leather randoseru. The randoseru carried by Japanese boys today is almost identical with the one given to the prince in 1887. It is a classic style and has not changed or likely to do so. Some of these bags look to us very similar to the books bags used by German school children. A HBC reader has noted the similarity also. He writes, "I just realized that the German book bag of the 1900s through 1930s resemble the Japanese book bags of today. I wonder if the Japanese copied the German book bag." It seems very likely given that uniform styles were adopted from European styles, Prussian cadet styles for the bosys and British sailor dresses for the girls. (Actually German boys had those satchels before the 1900s, only HBC does not have many 19th century images.) We wonder if the German or Dutch school satchels were an influence. A Japanese reader writes, "I think that the basic style of Japanese school satchels was modeled on those used by German children, but am not positive. he word itself (Randoseru) is derived, I believe, from German. (It certainly isn't from English.) Japanese uniforms have a tendency to 'freeze' fashions that were popular decades ago in other countries but long since disappeared there. The Keio school uniform derives, I believe, from French children's fashions of the 1920s." The German terms are Tornister, Schultasche, ans Schulranzen. One source suggests that the term comes from the Dutch word 'ransel'. The Dutch were the only European traders allowed before the opening of Japan and thus influential. The Dutch and German satchel styles were identical. Gakushuin in 1890 decided that the black leather Randoseru should be the standard type worn by all boys. Given the importance of Gakushuin, schools and parents all over Japan adopted this style. Not all parents could afford a leather book bag, but this was what most parents purchased if they could afford one.
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