<Bookstore × School Backpack> Proposing a New Choice to Reduce Weight Burden. The Lightweight "RAKUSACK® JUNIOR" School Backpack

Footmark Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Sumida-ku, Tokyo; President: Norifumi Isobe), a manufacturer of school supplies with an 80-year history, will begin selling the "RAKUSACK JUNIOR" series, a school backpack for elementary school students, at two locations: Kumazawa Bookstore's ACADEMIA iias Tsukuba store and ACADEMIA Kohoku store. This is a new initiative proposing school backpacks in the setting of a bookstore. Additionally, a 20% OFF sale will be held from Friday, March 27 to Sunday, April 12.

Background of the Deployment

In recent years, the amount of luggage elementary school students carry to school has increased due to the spread of tablet devices in addition to textbooks. Survey results indicate that the average weight of a school backpack for first to third-grade elementary students is 3.94kg, with 90.4% of children feeling that it is "heavy." (*Surveyed by Footmark Co., Ltd. / 2025 Edition / Latest Report on the Problem of Heavy Elementary School Luggage)

Amidst this, Footmark has been developing the fabric-based "RAKUSACK JUNIOR" series since 2020 as a new choice for school styles that reduce physical burden on children. Because bookstores are places that handle books and educational materials most familiarly, the deployment at Kumazawa Bookstore was realized out of a desire to propose a new choice of school backpack that reduces physical burden for children who walk to school carrying massive amounts of textbooks and heavy luggage.

Experience-based Sales Floor Unique to a Bookstore

At the store, a "backpacking experience corner" has been set up where users can compare the comfort of each size by using weights that simulate actual luggage when commuting to school. We are creating a sales floor where parents and children can compare and consider the product with conviction in an environment close to learning, which is unique to a bookstore.

Main Features of RAKUSACK® JUNIOR

*Please also see the reference material at the end for details.

■Patented "Book Strap" (Patent No. 6712398): Fixes the luggage to the back side and suppresses shaking to reduce perceived weight.

■"3D Shoulder Belt" that fits the child's body: Reduces the burden on the shoulders with a 3D pattern designed to wrap around a child's narrow body.

■3-year warranty: Repairs within the warranty period are free of charge. A substitute product will be provided during repairs.

■With a price point starting in the 10,000 yen range, it offers a new choice of "replacing" with a size that matches the child's physique.

Sales Lineup

<Reference Material>

Reference material regarding the fabric school backpack "RAKUSACK JUNIOR"

【Development Background】

The RAKUSACK series is a brand of school bags aimed at reducing the burden when commuting to school. It was born in 2017 as a school bag for junior high school students to address the "weight of junior high school students' luggage," which was a social problem at the time. Afterward, focusing on the fact that elementary school students have similar worries, we developed the model for elementary school students, "RAKUSACK JUNIOR," in 2020. It was deployed ahead of other companies and is called a "fabric school backpack" or "functional school backpack," gaining recognition as a new choice.

【About the Market】

The fabric school backpack market has seen successive entries by major companies in recent years, and it is expected to continue to expand. According to a "School Backpack Awareness Survey" conducted by our company in 2020, more than 90% of respondents answered that they purchase a school backpack when entering school, and the school backpack is deeply rooted as a culture unique to Japan. On the other hand, with the recent "Rankatsu" (activity for selecting school backpacks) boom, the choices of school backpacks have diversified, and our company is deploying with a focus on "reducing the burden on children's bodies" rather than color, brand, or price.

【Product Features】

The RAKUSACK series features ingenious designs everywhere to make it "feel light" when carried. The "Book Strap," which utilizes patented technology, was developed by referring to the structure of mountain climbing backpacks, and by firmly fixing heavy textbooks and materials to the back, an effect of making it feel lighter can be expected.

■RAKUSACK Homepage https://www.rakusack.jp/

【The Problem of Elementary School Students' Luggage Weight】

Like junior high school students, the problem of elementary school students' luggage being heavy has become a social issue.
Although the lightening of luggage has progressed in recent years due to the relaxation of "okibeny" (leaving school materials at school), elementary students have been provided with one tablet device each due to the promotion of ICT education based on the New Course of Study. Therefore, the content of the school backpack is a combination of "textbooks + tablets," which leads to an increase in the weight of the luggage, and its impact has been pointed out.
In a survey conducted by our company last year, it was found that the average weight of a school backpack for first to third-grade elementary students reached 3.94 kilograms, and 90.4% of elementary school students feel that "the school backpack is heavy."

(*Surveyed by Footmark Co., Ltd. / 2025 Edition / Latest Report on the Problem of Heavy Elementary School Luggage)

【Achievements and Reactions so far】

Since its launch in 2020, RAKUSACK JUNIOR's sales numbers have increased by around 150% every year. Also, a rental service was started immediately after the launch, and about half of those who used this service ended up purchasing it.