It seems like just about every product that comes out of Japan is collectible.  From Japanese erasers to the backpacks for toddlers called randoseru, the bright colors and fun designs are enough to catch the attention of anyone.

Japanese erasers come in any shape and size imaginable.  They are like any other eraser you might have used in school, but instead of boring rectangles they come in the shape of food, as your favorite anime character, or as scented putty.  The cool thing about these is that they can make homework or studying more enjoyable – learning calculus is a lot more colorful when you correct your mistakes with a hamburger.

The Japanese toddler backpacks are tough stitched leather that lasts through a student’s entire elementary school experience.  There are some that costs hundreds of dollars, but they are made to last.  In addition, sometimes the backpacks are kept long after a child’s time in school as a way of remembering their childhood.  They are an important part of the Japanese school uniforms and there are even some made by designers or to match the type of backpack a manga character might have.

It could just be the fun simplicity of these collectibles that make them so intriguing, but for some reason they could cause almost anyone to become a collector.  In addition to the erasers and backpacks, there are also collectible figures from manga and anime.  Otaku are famous for collecting these action figures, which can be roughly translated to mean nerd.  There is a part of Tokyo called Akihabara where otaku culture is especially prevalent.  It’s amazing how many collectibles otaku manage to fit into their cramped Tokyo apartments.

Whichever collectible you decide to check out, you’ll probably find that the colors, fun Japanese text, and uniqueness will create a surprising draw to collect each one you come across; and a look around the internet will show that some people have collections with more items than you could possibly imagine.