How much does school bag cost in Japan?

¥54,958 per piece, as of September 2026 — the unweighted average of 81 surveyed cities in the government's retail price survey.

Which Japanese city has the cheapest school bag?

Among the surveyed cities in September 2026, Hachinohe was cheapest at ¥37,330 and Fujisawa the most expensive at ¥71,133.

How much have school bag prices changed in Japan over the past year?

As of September 2026, -1.2% year on year, measured by Japan's official consumer price index (2020 = 100).

How much have school bag prices changed in Japan over the past five years?

+9.5% compared with the same month five years earlier. The index now reads 111.6.

When were school bag prices in Japan at their highest?

The series peaked at 113.2 in July 2025. The latest reading is -1.4% against that peak.

What is the difference between the index and the yen price?

This page carries two kinds of number. The index (2020 = 100) measures percentage change over time and is not a yen amount; the yen figure is an actual average retail price from the government's retail price survey. Source: 総務省統計局消費者物価指数 (e-Stat table 0003427113, nationwide, monthly).

Miscellaneous · code 9711

School bag price in Japan

通学用かばん

Average retail price

¥54,958per piece-1.1% year on year

2026-09 · unweighted average of 81 surveyed cities

Surveyed specification: ランドセル，合成皮革製，たて型，普通品

Cheapest surveyed city: ¥37,330 Hachinohe
Priciest surveyed city: ¥71,133 Fujisawa

Price in your city:

¥55,899per piece+1.7% vs national average#23 cheapest of 52 cities

See all 52 cities, cheapest first

#	City	Price (JPY) · per piece
1	Niigata	¥43,817
2	Okayama	¥44,297
3	Aomori	¥44,497
4	Sapporo	¥46,245
5	Nara	¥47,400
6	Matsue	¥47,495
7	Shizuoka	¥47,667
8	Tsu	¥47,797
9	Sakai	¥47,797
10	Naha	¥49,005
11	Wakayama	¥49,100
12	Yokohama	¥51,215
13	Fukuoka	¥51,798
14	Tottori	¥52,197
15	Gifu	¥53,330
16	Saga	¥53,663
17	Saitama	¥54,478
18	Fukui	¥54,890
19	Mito	¥54,897
20	Osaka	¥55,143
21	Takamatsu	¥55,163
22	Hamamatsu	¥55,183
23	Tokyo (23 wards)	¥55,899
24	Kyoto	¥56,047
25	Kofu	¥56,380
26	Kochi	¥57,330
27	Maebashi	¥57,550
28	Matsuyama	¥57,770
29	Nagano	¥58,230
30	Kumamoto	¥58,567
31	Akita	¥58,597
32	Morioka	¥58,997
33	Miyazaki	¥59,063
34	Kobe	¥59,672
35	Oita	¥60,500
36	Fukushima	¥60,567
37	Tokushima	¥60,663
38	Yamaguchi	¥61,730
39	Sendai	¥62,095
40	Hiroshima	¥62,123
41	Toyama	¥62,297
42	Otsu	¥63,580
43	Kitakyushu	¥64,213
44	Nagasaki	¥64,533
45	Kawasaki	¥64,725
46	Chiba	¥64,900
47	Kanazawa	¥64,900
48	Yamagata	¥65,267
49	Nagoya	¥65,322
50	Sagamihara	¥66,550
51	Kagoshima	¥66,733
52	Utsunomiya	¥71,133

Retail price survey conducted by the Statistics Bureau of Japan. This is a survey average, not a shop price — actual prices vary by store. 総務省統計局小売物価統計調査 · Surveyed items and specifications

Key facts

School bag costs ¥54,958 per piece in Japan as of September 2026 — the unweighted average of 81 surveyed cities, down 1.1% from a year earlier. Measured as an index, the official CPI for school bag reads 111.6 (2020 = 100) in September 2026, down 1.2% year on year and up 9.5% over five years.

School bag sits in the miscellaneous group of Japan's CPI basket, with 681 monthly observations from January 1970 to September 2026. The series peaked at 113.2 in July 2025 and bottomed at 11.5 in January 1970; the latest reading is -1.4% against that peak. Against ten years ago it is +24.0%.

Latest CPI

111.6

2026-09 (2020=100)

YoY %

-1.2%

5y change %

+9.5%

Change since 1970-01

+870.4%

Annual average index by year

Annual average consumer price index for School bag in Japan (2020 = 100)
Year	Index	YoY %	Months
2015	84.9	+7.6%	12
2016	90.1	+6.1%	12
2017	91.8	+1.9%	12
2018	94.8	+3.3%	12
2019	96.8	+2.1%	12
2020	100.0	+3.3%	12
2021	101.1	+1.1%	12
2022	102.4	+1.3%	12
2023	104.5	+2.1%	12
2024	108.5	+3.8%	12
2025	111.9	+3.1%	12
2026	112.0	+0.1%	9

Average of the monthly index values in each year (2020 = 100). Blank months are excluded.

Average retail price by month

2026-09	¥54,958
2026-08	¥55,160
2026-07	¥55,226
2026-06	¥55,530
2026-05	¥55,534
2026-02	¥54,204
2026-01	¥55,111
2025-12	¥55,244
2025-11	¥55,553
2025-10	¥55,321
2025-09	¥55,557
2025-08	¥55,161
2025-07	¥55,400

Frequently asked questions

How much does school bag cost in Japan?: ¥54,958 per piece, as of September 2026 — the unweighted average of 81 surveyed cities in the government's retail price survey.
Which Japanese city has the cheapest school bag?: Among the surveyed cities in September 2026, Hachinohe was cheapest at ¥37,330 and Fujisawa the most expensive at ¥71,133.
How much have school bag prices changed in Japan over the past year?: As of September 2026, -1.2% year on year, measured by Japan's official consumer price index (2020 = 100).
How much have school bag prices changed in Japan over the past five years?: +9.5% compared with the same month five years earlier. The index now reads 111.6.
When were school bag prices in Japan at their highest?: The series peaked at 113.2 in July 2025. The latest reading is -1.4% against that peak.
What is the difference between the index and the yen price?: This page carries two kinds of number. The index (2020 = 100) measures percentage change over time and is not a yen amount; the yen figure is an actual average retail price from the government's retail price survey. Source: 総務省統計局消費者物価指数 (e-Stat table 0003427113, nationwide, monthly).