A while back, we talked about adult fashionistas, including actress Zooey Deschanel, who’d become smitten with the boxy Japanese backpacks called randoseru. In Japan, though, randoseru are strictly for the prepubescent set, as they’re exclusively used by elementary school students.
That’s not to say that kids don’t appreciate a nice-looking bag, though, which is why Disney is getting in on the randoseru game, with a line of backpacks that can only be purchased inside its Tokyo theme parks, and cost the equivalent of several hundred dollars.
Disney is offering five different models of randoseru, four for girls and just one for boys, which makes sense when you consider how much more loyal its female customers are than its male ones. The backpacks can only be ordered from House of Greeting and Il Postino Stationary, gift shops inside Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disney Sea, respectively.
For girls, there’s a Minnie Mouse randoseru in your choice of pink, brown or lavender.
▼ Minnie herself is embroidered on the both the back of the bag and the white section that lies against the wearer’s back, and the zipper catches are modeled after her trademark hair ribbons.
The boys’ randoseru, on the other hand, is a bit less showy about its Disney connection.
Offered only in basic black, when the bag is all closed up, you’d have to look pretty close to spot the iconic Mickey Mouse silhouettes.
Open up the flap, though, and it’s a different story.
Finally, the top-of-the-line premium model comes in pearl pink, inspired by the Disney Princesses and meant for yours.
Disney is taking orders for the synthetic leather bags between now and October 31, with delivery scheduled for March, just before the Japanese school year starts. Like all randoseru, they’re designed to be used for all six years of elementary school, but that sort of sturdy construction doesn’t come cheap. Prices for even ordinary randoseru tend to start at around 30,000 yen (US$240), but the Mickey and Minnie models will set you back 58,000 yen (US$460). And if your little one has her heart set on the premium Princess version? Be prepared to cough up 75,000 yen (US$600).
Oh, and remember how we mentioned the only places offering these backpacks are stores inside Disney’s two Tokyo theme parks? They only take orders in-person, so you’ll need to tack on the cost of a ticket for yourself (6,900 yen), and ostensibly one for your Disney-loving child (4,500 yen) that’ll be using the bag.
Good thing it’s the grandparents that traditionally foot the bill for randoseru, huh?
Source: Tokyo Disney Resort
Images: Tokyo Disney Resort (edited by RocketNews24)