Over 90％ of Japanese Schoolchildren Say Randoseru Schoolbags are Heavy

The Yomiuri Shimbun

7:00 JST, February 7, 2023

More than 90% of elementary school students who use randoseru schoolbags feel that their bags are heavy, according to a survey conducted by Footmark Corp., a Tokyo-based manufacturer of swimwear for school children.

The nationwide online survey was taken by 1,200 parents with their first-, second- or third-grade children in October. According to the survey, 93% of elementary school students felt that their randoseru were heavy, and 90% of parents felt the same way.

The average weight of a randoseru with school supplies was 4.28 kilograms, up from 3.97 kilograms compared to the previous year. Some children carried randoseru that weighed more than 10 kilograms.

One out of every 3.5 elementary school students who felt that their randoseru were heavy had complained about shoulder or back pain when going to school.

Of the respondents, 65% said they would like to replace their schoolbags with lighter ones.