Platinum Fashion and Travel Accessories Design · 2026
Otona Randosel Backpack
- A' Design Award 2026 Platinum Winner in Fashion and Travel Accessories Design
- Awarded April 15, 2026
- CLIENT: Tsuchiya Kaban Co., Ltd.
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 920,252
- Verification code C8FCD5BD73 · Verify this award
About Otona Randosel Backpack
This backpack reimagines the traditional Japanese Randosel for daily use. By removing its characteristic flap, the design features a silhouette composed of straight lines and curves. The ergonomic back panel is structured to provide support while maintaining a formal appearance. The exterior is simplified by removing pockets, and the opening is redesigned for easy access. This backpack aims to balance form with practical utility.
Tsuchiya Kaban Co., Ltd.'s Otona Randosel Backpack emerges from a distinguished lineage of leather craftsmanship that bridges traditional artisanal practice with contemporary design sensibility, representing a thoughtful reinterpretation of familiar form language for mature users seeking objects of enduring quality and visual restraint. The work demonstrates remarkable compositional discipline, presenting its rectangular silhouette with architectural clarity that speaks to the precision inherent in master leather working traditions. The selection of full-grain leather in deep obsidian tones reveals careful attention to material expression, allowing the natural characteristics of premium hide to communicate quality through surface depth and subtle luminosity rather than applied ornament. Technical execution evidences exceptional control, from the uniformly spaced perimeter stitching that frames the main panel to the sculptural curves of the twin carrying handles that arc gracefully at the composition's apex. The design philosophy appears rooted in the understanding that functional objects achieve aesthetic significance through the refinement of essential elements rather than accumulation of decorative features, each component serving clear purpose while contributing to formal harmony. Thematic resonances suggest meditation on maturation and continuity, the familiar childhood form thoughtfully evolved to serve adult contexts, carrying forward cultural memory while acknowledging present needs. The restrained palette and clean silhouette may reference historical design movements that celebrated truth to materials and honest construction, inviting contemplation of how traditional craft knowledge adapts to contemporary life. Viewers might consider how objects of daily utility become repositories of personal meaning through sustained use, and how considered design choices create frameworks for such relationships to develop over extended time.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- Reimagining Randosel features for modern daily life.
This backpack reconstructs the "beauty of straight lines and curves" unique to Japanese Randosel. By removing the iconic flap, we achieved a minimalist silhouette defined by clean lines. Ergonomic curves on the back ensure comfort, balancing formal tension with utility. We eliminated external pockets to increase purity while redesigning the opening for smoother access. Disciplined beauty and modern convenience are highly fused. - Dimensions & Packaging
- Size: H 410 × W 295 × D 120 mm
Shoulder Strap Length: 670-880 mm (7-level adjustment)
Handle Height: 35 mm - Tags
- RANDOSEL, Backpack, Leather, Japan, Minimalist, Craftsmanship, Repairable
- Production Technology
- We developed a unique magnet for smooth operation and secure closure. Based on children’s Randosels-curves, we tested 4 shapes and 3 lengths, refining the fit through trials with over a dozen people. We also inherited the "soft touch" technique of Randosel by slightly extending the side cushioning.
For the lower back, a three-layer sponge supports weight on the hips. By incorporating the traditional airflow channel design into the back panel, we significantly improved daily comfort. - Design Challenge
- Our challenge was to overturn the stereotype of "RANDOSEL equals a children’s bag" by reinterpreting it as a backpack with formal dignity. We achieved refined form and rational structure by fusing our founding Randosel techniques with top-tier craft, such as Dulles bag manufacturing and repair expertise. Working closely with our craft people, we thoroughly examined core materials, hardware, and aging quality, completing a unique product that integrates safety and durability with beauty.
- Project Duration
- Started in July 2019 at Tsuchiya Kaban in Tokyo. Mass production was completed at the Tsuchiya Kaban workshop in June 2023, marking the end of the project. It is currently not for sale.
- Operation Flow
- Elevating the backpack into a dignified form suitable for formal settings.
By reinterpreting the Randosel’s neat structural beauty, we elevated the casual backpack into a dignified form. We added asymmetrical details to the orderly boxy form to create a presence that stands out in daily life. With center-of-gravity design and structure, we balanced a beautiful silhouette with high-performance comfort. This new commuter backpack integrates casual style and dignity, enhancing the wearer’s posture. - Research
- Inheriting and updating design and technology rooted in the Randosel.
Since our founding in 1965, we have inherited our craft while updating it for modern life. We thoroughly examined structure and specifications, focusing on flap operation, formal refinement, and carrying comfort. Beyond aesthetics, we pursued practical weight reduction and accessibility. Staying true to our brand spirit, we optimized the "OTONA RANDSEL" for daily use, achieving a fusion of beauty and functionality. - Inspiration
- This project is based on the craftsmanship of the "RANDOSEL"-a traditional Japanese school bag-honed since our founding in 1965. We reconstructed the model launched for our 50th anniversary, evolving it into a backpack for a modern daily lifestyle. While inheriting the elegance, carrying comfort, and robust box-shaped structure, we pursued refined functional beauty to create an iconic model to be appreciated not only in Japan but also in the international market.
Colors of Otona Randosel Backpack
Design Interview about Otona Randosel Backpack
It is to continue creating exciting products and new experiences that remain relevant even among the ever-changing times.
The design carries forward the essential elements inherent to the Randoseru for adults. Randoseru-elegance, dignity, carrying comfort, and a sturdy box-shaped structure-while pursuing a more modern, sophisticated usability and silhouette.
We intend to use this award-winning experience to enhance the overall value of our brand and improve our product development.
About one year
This new model was developed as an iconic series for Tsuchiya Kaban’s brand. Setting itself apart from the standard lines, it is positioned as an icon that symbolizes our origins as a Randoseru brand. We aimed to create a backpack that represents our brand identity, designed to be appreciated not only in Japan but also in the international market.
All process are carried out in our own factory.
This project is rooted in the "OTONA RANDSEL," a version of the traditional Japanese school bag (Randoseru) redesigned for modern lifestyle,developed as our 50th anniversary model(2015). It builds upon the techniques of school bag manufacturing we have cultivated since our founding in 1965. While inheriting the original design philosophy, this model has been reconstructed into a new backpack form.
That is Kunio Tsuchiya, the founder of Tsuchiya Kaban Co., Ltd. He is a Randsoseru craftsman who received the "Contemporary Master Craftsman" award in 2022, which is given to active craftsmen with the highest level of outstanding skills in Japan.
This bag is primarily targeted at modern business professionals. It is designed for people who seek practical functionality for everyday use, while also appreciating Japanese aesthetics and craftsmanship.
Rather than just redesigning a "randoseru" (Japanese school backpack), we believe the value lies in the philosophy itself, which has been cultivated for six years of use. What sets our bags apart from similar ones is that we have designed them in a way that naturally connects the philosophy cultivated for children's randoseru—such as durability, the culture of repair, and the burden on the body— for daily use.
We named it with the hope that the "randoseru," a familiar item to Japanese people, would become a part of adults' daily lives. We combined the children's bag "randoseru" with the Japanese word "OTONA," which means adult. We aimed for a name that is easy to understand at a glance.
We created the bag using sketches, prototypes, illustrator, and CAD. I placed particular importance on creating physical prototypes to check the material feel, structure, and how comfortable it is to wear.
The most unique aspect is that it reinterprets Japan's unique schoolbag culture as a product for adults. Not only are the structural elements such as the back padding, shoulder straps, and magnets incorporated, but the very philosophy of "designing it for long-term use" is at the heart of this design.
This bag was created in collaboration with craftsmen in our company.
Standard embedded magnets often allow the flap to open easily upon impact. However, increasing the magnet's strength too much makes opening and closing difficult. To resolve this, we developed an original magnetic closure that provides both secure strength and smooth operation.
The shoulder straps of Randoseru feature an S-shaped curve designed ergonomically to fit the body. Drawing inspiration from this, we created prototypes of shoulder straps with four different curvature variations and three different lengths. These were tested for carrying comfort by more than a dozen internal staff members to determine the optimal line for the straps. Also, by allowing the soft cowhide and cushioning sponge used on the underside to extend slightly beyond the edges of the straps—similar to the construction of children's Randoseru—we improved the tactile feel against the body and enhanced the overall fit when worn.
While the back panels of children's Randoseru are cushioned with sponge, this model features a three-layer sponge structure at the lower back—one layer more than the children's version—to provide better support at the waist. Additionally, following the traditional Randoseru design, the central portion of the padding is removed to create an air channel, improving breathability and overall carrying comfort.
The shoulder straps of Randoseru feature an S-shaped curve designed ergonomically to fit the body. Drawing inspiration from this, we created prototypes of shoulder straps with four different curvature variations and three different lengths. These were tested for carrying comfort by more than a dozen internal staff members to determine the optimal line for the straps. Also, by allowing the soft cowhide and cushioning sponge used on the underside to extend slightly beyond the edges of the straps—similar to the construction of children's Randoseru—we improved the tactile feel against the body and enhanced the overall fit when worn.
While the back panels of children's Randoseru are cushioned with sponge, this model features a three-layer sponge structure at the lower back—one layer more than the children's version—to provide better support at the waist. Additionally, following the traditional Randoseru design, the central portion of the padding is removed to create an air channel, improving breathability and overall carrying comfort.
We paid close attention to the shoulder strap design to distribute the load evenly across the shoulders and back. Drawing inspiration from this, we created prototypes of shoulder straps with four different curvature variations and three different lengths. These were tested for carrying comfort by more than a dozen internal staff members to determine the optimal line for the straps.
In Japan, there has long been a deep-seated stereotype that the Randoseru is exclusively for school children, rooted in specific structural standards unique to the country. This project aimed to overturn that preconception by elevating the typically casual backpack into a formal, "dignified" product through reinterpretation.
We applied the competition because we wanted to further expand the possibilities of design through third-party perspectives and evaluations, and use that to create new value and evolve as a brand.
Through this project, we were able to relearn the history and origins of our brand, and it gave us a chance to think deeply about how to express its values in a way that resonates with contemporary sensibilities.
Nothing in particular.