ランドセル（Randoseru） is a school bag used by Japanese elementary school students when going to school. Most are made of leather and are very sturdy.
ランドセルは日本の小学生が学校に行く時に使うリュックです。
革製品の物がほとんどで、とても頑丈にできています。
What to bring for elementary school students
Japanese elementary school students bring home textbooks, notebooks, and other materials used at school every day. Because they have so many belongings, they need a sturdy backpack that will last them for six years.
日本の小学生は学校で使う教科書やノートなどを毎日持ち帰ります。
持ち物がとても多いので、6年間ずっと使える頑丈なリュックが必要なのです。
Recently, however, some have voiced concerns that carrying a fairly heavy load may be problematic for a child's development.
しかし最近、かなり重い荷物を持つことが子どもの生育に問題があるかもしれないという声もあります。
It is said that the average weight of an elementary school student, including luggage and Randoseru（school bag）, is about 6 kg. Furthermore, on days when they have a lot of luggage, they may carry about 10 kg 😳.
小学生の持つ荷物とランドセルを含めた平均の重さは約6kgと言われています。
さらに、荷物の多い日では10kgもの荷物を持って行く日もあるようです😳
Some schools use a school-designated backpack made of cloth instead of a Randoseru（school bag）. They do not last six years like school bags, but they are inexpensive compared to Randoseru（school bag）and are more lightweight, so it may be a good idea to buy a new one.
Randoseru（school bag） are very expensive, costing from 50,000 yen to 70,000 yen.
ランドセルの代わりに布でできた学校指定のリュックサックを使う学校もあります。ランドセルのように6年も保ちませんが、ランドセルと比べて安価で軽いので買い直しても良いのかもしれませんね。
ランドセルはとても高価で5万円から7万円ぐらいするのです。
As a gift for entering elementary school
Randoseru（school bag） are often given by grandparents as a gift for their grandchildren's entrance to school, and most of them go shopping together with their families when they return home for long vacations. Therefore, most families have already purchased their ランドセル（school bag） by summer. It may seem a little early to go shopping for school bags, since the child's first day of elementary school is also six months before the start of school.
ランドセルは祖父母が孫の入学祝いにする事も多く、ほとんどは長期休暇の帰省の際に家族一緒に買いに行きます。
そのため、夏までにはランドセルの購入を済ませている家庭がほとんどです。
子供の小学校入学も半年も前にランドセルを買いに行くのですから、少し気が早いような気もしますね。
Colors of Randoseru（school bag）
In the past, boys used black Randoseru and girls used red ones. However, since about the year 2000, there has been a social movement to respect Gender neutrality, and more and more children are using school bags of their own favorite colors.
Nevertheless, a child's preferred color may change over the course of six years. Colors that stand out as stained are also a problem. When purchasing a school bag, parents are also concerned about which color their child will choose.
昔は男の子は黒いランドセルを女の子は赤いランドセルを使っていました。
しかし、2000年くらいから、人それぞれのジェンダーを尊重し、性別にとらわれないという社会的な動きもあり、自分の好きな色のランドセルを使う子どもが増えてきました。
とはいえ、子どもの好みの色が6年の間に変わってしまう事もあるでしょう。
汚れが目だつ色も困ります。ランドセルを購入する時には親も子どもがどの色を選ぶのか、
気になるようです。
Elementary school children go to and from school alone.
It’s common for elementary school students in Japan to go to school in groups in each district. Children go to and from school alone from elementary school students. They use safe routes that have been discussed by teachers and parents, but parents and teachers may watch over them in areas with heavy traffic.
The older children watch over the younger children; to a first grader, a school bag looks quite large; the sixth graders take care of the younger children; and the sixth graders are responsible for the younger children. Children in this age group grow up a lot, both physically and mentally.
日本の小学生は、地区ごとに集団登校するのが一般的です。子ども達は小学生から子供だけで登下校をします。
教師や親で検討した安全なルートを使いますが、交通量の多い場所では親や教師が見守る場合もあります。
高学年の子どもが、低学年の子どもの様子を見守ります。
1年生の子どもにはランドセルはかなり大きく見えます。6年生は幼い子どもの面倒を見ます。この頃の子どもは心身共に大きな成長をとげます。
Safety Measures
Although Japan is basically safe, it is not entirely free from suspicious people. Children carry a security buzzer in case of emergency. They also learn what to do if they encounter a suspicious person at school or at home.
日本は基本的に安全ですが、不審者が全くいない訳ではありません。
いざという時のために子ども達は防犯ブザーを持っています。
また、不審者にあった時の対処法も学校や家庭で習います。
After school
In the past, elementary school students would often leave their Randoseru(school bags) at home and play with friends in the neighborhood when they returned home. However, with the increase in the number of working women, the way elementary school students spend their time after returning home these days has changed a bit from the past.
The lower grades, many children go directly from school to the after-school day-care center, and finish their homework and snacks there, and wait for their parents to pick them up. The number of children who have many lessons has increased, and it has become more difficult for children to make plans to play with each other.
昔は小学生は家に帰ると、ランドセルを家に置いて友達と近所で遊ぶ事が多かったと思います。
しかし、働く女性が増えたため、最近の小学生の帰宅後の過ごし方は以前と少し変わりました。
低学年のうちは学校からそのまま学童に行き、そこで宿題やおやつを済ませ、
親のお迎えを待つ子どもが多いです。習い事をたくさんしている子どもも増え、
子ども同士で遊ぶ約束をする事が難しくなりました。