If you’ve been to Japan—or watched any Japanese film or television show that features schoolchildren—you’ve seen a randoseru backpack. There’s no way you haven’t. The rounded-yet-blocky leather shape is on the back of pretty much every child in Japan. It’s so common that there are anime shows about “randoseru girls.” There are even randoserus for dogs. 

A longstanding Randoseru Association monitors bag stats like popularity of sizes, material, and color (boys like the black, but navy is catching up, while girls have been opting for lavender over pink lately). The bags are so ubiquitous the paper of record itself, The New York Times, recently published a profile of them. According to their deep-pocketed research, the randoseru became Japan’s de facto school backpack way back in 1885 when “a school that educates Japan’s imperial family, designated as its official school bag.” Now, nearly 150 years later, the bag is worn by nearly every elementary school child in the country. 

Helping the bag continue its reign is leather goods manufacturer Tsuchiya Kaban, which has been making randoseru in Japan since it was founded by Kunio Tsuchiya over 60 years ago. It’s a laborious process that involves 50 craftspeople using 150 parts to hand make each bag. 

After spending decades content to outfit Japanese school kids, the company recently turned its eyes on the rest of the world. They launched a global e-commerce site in English three years ago, and now, Tsuchiya Kaban has partnered with Portland’s own Frances May to open its first US outpost, a shop-in-shop on the ground floor of the downtown retailer. 

“The way they talk about their products, and the way they physically care for them; there’s a preciousness and a respect for the tradition and the quality that each bag has, which you kind of want to be a part of it a little bit,” says Pamela Baker-Miller. As the owner of Frances May, she was able to be a little bit part of the brand by offering them space on the ground floor of her store, an offer they were excited to take her up on. 

For the first time, customers in the US can check out the quality of Tsuchiya products in person, and, perhaps most important, try on a randoseru to see if they look nearly as good as a Japanese five-year old (doubtful, sorry!). 

There is one question about their new spot, though: Why Portland? Los Angeles is right there. And while we love this city, it’s simply smaller and welcomes fewer fancy-pants visitors who might be angling for a bag that takes 300 steps to make by hand. 

“There’s a personal connection,” explains Andi Bakos, who does marketing for the brand. “Two of the people who work for the brand have lived in Portland, so they have a fondness for the city, and they see it as a place where small businesses are very supported. They feel very much at home here. There’s definitely a kinship with Tokyo, too. Both are places where ‘craft’ is a big part of the local culture—Portland is full of makers, Tsuchiya is a company of makers.”

Along with that longstanding maker tradition comes a desire to continue evolving. While some brands would be content doing one thing really, really well for nearly 60 years, Tsuchiya Kaban isn’t. Instead, the brand has launched on an ambitious global retail expansion and tapped into its creativity. Since the 1990s, it has expanded its line to include 150-ish bags, briefcases, and wallets and started working in a wholly new material, a mushroom fabric, called Mylo. 

“Because we have this really good foundation of craftsmanship, we’re able to branch out and do these experimental things and explore ideas and concepts that the brand values, like sustainability,” explains Emmy Kawanishi Reis from Tsuchiya Kaban. “Craftsmanship is really the backbone of the brand, and it has allowed it to do all these interesting collaborations, including with Mylo.” While the material is currently only used in a wallet, there are plans to incorporate the fabric in future goods. 

While Tsuchiya Kaban has an eye on the future, their products remain deeply rooted in tradition and are designed to last, making them a worthy investment. That’s what made Baker-Miller a fan in the first place. “I really like how simple and elegant and well made they are,” she says. “If I’m going to buy something, I want to keep it for a very long time.”