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Japanese Randoseru Commercial

Kyowa uses a faux foreign exercise video to advertise its elementary school backpacks (randoseru):

The backpacks cost 32,400 yen each, about 360 USD.

[hat tip to Clay]

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30 comments - What do you think? Posted by James - November 12, 2009 at 10:15 am

Categories: Odd / Strange Tags:

http://surrealu.blogspot.com Claytonian

That’ll get dad interested in his child’s education

http://www.pastatech.wordpress.com Raymond

Yes. I’ll bet. What is the fitness girl for anyway?

But $360 USD? What are the backpacks made of? titanium?

Iago

The price is symbolic in order to prove how much more Taro is loved by his grandparents than his classmates are loved by theirs. Taro doesn’t actually care so much, so long as it’s the right color, but the grandparents do.

Slur

HOW MUCH????

For a backpack????

Amazing.

George

It’s a racket in Japan. As others said, grandparents buy them for their grandchildren.

I had always understood it less as a competition to show they loved their grandchildren more, and more just that it was expected, standardized–every elementary school child has one of those overpriced backpacks.

And the cardinal rule in Japan is, the nail that sticks out gets hammered down. Coming to school without such a backpack is akin to failing to wear the uniform, so I hear.
Carlos

Your basically just paying for the name. There is nothing extra ordinary on these backpacks. I have seen them and MOST of them are all the same.
You can get a way with paying about a $150 for a good backpack. Still nothing to sneeze at, but it’s just like a Louis Vuitton wallet. Who in their right mind would spend $600 for a back pocket wallet??
I guess, it boils down to how you feel about quality and name brands. For some people, name brands mean everything and will shell out the money for that. Others are looking for a good deal. It’s all subjective, I guess.

Spector

That advert creeps me out for some reason D=

Also, if it’s meant to be foriegn, why are the only English words she speaks the numbers?
minato

I laughed to death.
but sorry,I have to say to gaijins.

hakujin girl jump crazily on the floor with a cry “huwari”.
ふわりぃ “huwari” karui ＝ moron, not smart

yes,,sorry,we japanese have image about westerner like this.
especially about white girls.

this cm fits the dumb hakujin girl stereotype perfectly.

if gaijin do not like this cm,you should protest like Mr.James.

thankyou

Vonskippy

If the white girl is so dumb, why is it the Japanese that are forking out 32,400 yen for a kids stupid backpack?

Yamachan

VonSkippy,

because this backpack will last the 4 or 5 years that the kid is going to use it before he moves on from it, instead of the yearly “back to school” shopping that people have to do in the U.S. for “fashion” which is more ridiculous, really, if you think about it. They’re little kids, for crying out loud.

Karisu

I’m not sure what kind of backpacks you bought as a kid, but I had maybe 2-3 backpacks (that cost between $30-$50) for my entire 12 years of pre-college school.

The only thing we bought new every year were folders, notebooks, and pens/pencils.

Can’t believe you’re trying to justify a $360 backpack with such ridiculousness.
greg

karisu what the hell do you base that on?

jansport is what almost everyone in the U.S. buys. they typically cost $30 and will last you TEN years. Mine has lasted that long and my friends has lasted him for around 12 years. They are dirty as hell but work just fine. Backpacks are never “fashionable” here either, its all about function, and really the only people who buy anything other than jansport are soccer moms who buy nike backpacks for their kids (which make them look like tools).

dont say shit like “americans buy a new backpack every year” without a shred of evidence
greg

yamachan* not karisu. karisu knows exactly what hes talking about

leitmotiv

we japanese have image about westerner like this.
especially about white girls.

this cm fits the dumb hakujin girl stereotype perfectly.

Is it possible your comments are reinforcing any stereotypes about Japanese?

I am sure ponta will jump in here soon. This is precisely the type of comment he wants to correct.
HamachiMan

Japanese impersonating trolls are so easy to smell from miles away.

lala

Daddy’s wallet is the one that gets slimmer, I suppose. Perhaps the manufacturer’s should throw in a DVD of that commercial for consolation.
fg

She’s dancin’ and singin’ “fuwari” “karuku” meaning airy and lightweight.

Back when I carried those, they were made of heavy leather and I’m telling you it was damn heavy for a seven year old with all the text books inside.

I bet it’s actually made of good rugged material (synthetic leather these days) so it will risist the abuse of school graders atleast during their 6 years of elementary school. Usually grandparents buy it for their grandchildren as a 入学祝（celebration gift for entrance into a new school)

There were only black for boys and red for girls in my time.

Is this the right season to advertise randoseru? Hmmm

kunio

yes. thats true. I went with black one to school. (onomichi)

moominsean

i approve of that commercial.
http://relaxedfocus.blogspot.com Rob

I find myself wanting to buy a backpack now.
JakeL168

I’m kinda sick of watching blondies appear in Japanese commercial… pls bring back all those Kawaii Japanese girl!!!

adsasdfdfddfsd

yep I never saw the appeal on dumb blond girls

jojo

she can sell me a backpack anytime…ahhhh yeeeaahhh
gtg

isn’t she that crazy Miss Contest Coach who usually trains the japanese contestant for Miss Universe? She is quite well known in Japan i guess…
metatron

Ok I don’t get the commercial O.o
http://dimesfornickels.wordpress.com/ William George

For that much money, the blond girl better be giving lap dances.
Fred R.

She’s hot though.. I like the commercial. I wouldn’t buy a backpack past $50.00 USD though..
lovely

this commercial – just a bit…..”stupid.” hate hate hate those landosells.
Minnesota

My Grandpappy once told me “Boy, The day you buy a 360 dollar backpack is the day I mercifully end your life with my bare hands”.

About a week or so after that, he took hunting in the woods behind our house. The red sunset bathed the trees in it’s ethereal light that dared not touch the snow. I spied a wolf devouring the carcass of a stag and with one clean shot ended it’s life.

My Grandpappy smiled and shed a single manly tear. At that moment I knew I became a man.

I tanned it’s hide and Grandmum had sewn it into a backpack.

When I returned to school the other children were beset with shame. They looked like fools parading around in their TMNT and Barbie backpacks compared to one who owned a backpack made of the very beast he had slain.

Grandpappy died a few years later complications from pneumonia but I will never forget his teachings.

George

I really thought that when you got to the hunting part of the story, you’d say “And Grandpa brought a big shiny $360 backpack for me that day.” And then things were going to get ugly…

Japanese Randoseru Commercial

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