Japan company launches affordable, lightweight backpack
The One-Pack school backpack that is being sold to the public is provided by Montbell Co. TATEYAMA, Toyama Prefecture, has developed an affordable, light and durable backpack for elementary school children that is an alternative to the heavy, pricey randoseru school backpack.
The brainchild of Montbell Co. in Osaka was pitched at the request of Tateyama town at the foot of the Northern Alps under the company's first such program. The backpacks were made of the company's accumulated technologies and high-performance materials.
The backpacks will be distributed for free to all children starting at the six elementary schools in the town next April. It will be sold to the public as well.
The introduction came as Tateyama Mayor Takayuki Funahashi was concerned about the recent rise in randoseru prices.
Randoseru is a traditional school bag made of leather and other materials. Most elementary school children in Japan carry a randoseru, but the backpack is notorious for its prices and heavy.
A randoseru cost an average of 56,425 yen $407 in 2022, about 4,000 yen higher than in 2019 according to a survey by the Randoseru Kogyokai industrial association.
Funahashi read a news article about some municipalities recommending that students use cheap, lightweight backpacks instead of randoseru.
Many grandparents are looking forward to the tradition of them buying and presenting randoseru to their grandchildren, but some households can't afford randoseru or don't have grandparents, said Funahashi. We should not make children from those families feel sad. Funahashi decided to introduce a new school backpack that could be distributed for free.
Tateyama solicited proposals from manufacturers. Montbell, who signed a comprehensive cooperation agreement with the city in 2017, came forward and was selected after a screening process.
All students' belongings, including tablet computers and textbooks, can fit in the blue backpack.
The backpack is called the One-Pack, and weighs 900 grams, making it lighter than leather randoseru. Its durable design is expected to let children use the rucksack at elementary school for the rest of their six years.
The Outdoor Gear Enterprise knows-how marks every section of the One-Pack. Its shoulder belts can be adjusted to fit most users and the backpack is outfitted with carabiners on which to hang items.
Tateyama town estimated that producing the One-Pack will cost 10,000 yen or less per bag. A total of 190 One-Packs are to be purchased annually under the plan.
The city is looking to allocate a budget for securing One-Packs for three years to come, and to give them for free to elementary school students from fiscal 2023 to 2025.
The backpacks were handed out to kids in October who will start studying at the Takano Elementary School next April in a presentation ceremony. Students can choose a conventional randoseru if they do not like the One-Pack.
The public version of the One-Pack will come in three colors of blue, brown and red and carry a price tag of 14,850 yen, including tax.
Orders can be placed at Montbell's outlets and website.