Japanese elementary school backpacks made from ballistic nylon now being offered in Japan【Photos】

Kawanishi Kaban offers an alternative to leather randoseru.

Randoseru, the distinct box backpacks carried by Japanese elementary school kids, aren’t exactly cheap, usually costing several tens of thousands of yen (equivalent to several hundred U.S. dollars). The reason why is said to be the craftsmanship and high-class materials that go into making the bags.

Generally, randoseru are made with leather, with cloth alternatives seen as less durable and less desirable. But Japanese bag manufacturer Kawanishi Kaban wants to challenge that idea with its latest randoseru, which is made with ballistic nylon.

Kawanishi calls the new model the seowLn. Offered in black or khaki, those tactical-style color choices reflect the military origins of the Cordura ballistic nylon they’re sewn from, as the hard protective material has been used in flak jackets.

And yes, as the promotional photos show, these are indeed intended for children. However, the choice of ballistic nylon isn’t because of child safety concerns. Kawanishi itself points out that while ballistic nylon is some seven times stronger than normal nylon cloth, it’s not what we’d classify as bulletproof under current standards. The selling point here is that ballistic nylon is incredibly durable, and should be more than up to the challenge of resisting the scrapes, scratches, tears, and other physical damage kids’ accessories and personal items are subjected to.

▼ Ballistic nylon is strongly water-resistant too.

Functionality is a must in a child’s backpack, and seowLn has the full complement of zippered compartments, pockets, and straps to keep everything tidy and organized inside.

A clever touch is that, if you so desire, you can remove the back cover, making it look more like a conventional, non-randoseru backpack. Since kids stop wearing randoseru to school once they’re done with elementary school, this visual conversion lets them continue using the bag even after they’ve moved on to junior high.

Kawanishi is offering the ballistic nylon randoseru through Japanese crowdfunding site Makuake for 77,000 yen (US$588), with a 10,000-yen discount for the earliest backers. The bags come with a six-year guarantee that covers any repairs the bag may need in that time, and the site for the campaign, which lasts until the end of the month with shipping scheduled for September, can be found here.

Source: Makuake via IT Media
Images: Makuake
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