The Bag That Hurts, aka the Ita Bag

First off, The term "ita bag" comes from the Japanese word itai (痛い), which translates to “painful.” The reason these bags are thought to be painful are probably due to the

• Visual Overload: The aesthetic can be "painful" or cringeworthy to look at because the bag is completely covered in pins, buttons, and merchandise
• and Financial Strain: Buying all that official anime, manga, or idol merchandise hurts a fan's wallet.

they cause. It could also be a way for Japanese otakus to joke in a self-deprecating way, as the term was originally used as a joke, basically saying that their love for 2-dimensional characters was so intense and embarrassing that it "hurts.”

What is an ita bag?

An ita-bag is a bag that is typically covered with anime/ subculture badges and plush toys. They’re often used as portable character shrines, with each bag generally being dedicated to one fandom or character. 

They’re really popular in Japan (obviously, since they originated from there), especially as a mainstream staple of oshi-katsu, or the culture of supporting a favorite idol, anime character, or fictional celebrity.
If you were to go to Japan, you’d probably see them constantly in districts like Ikebukuro (especially near Animate), Akihabara in Tokyo,or Nipponbashi in Osaka, which are all pop culture hubs. They’re also practically uniform at anime conventions, voice actor concerts, and live idol performances. Fans load them up with badges, keychains, and plushies dedicated to a single character. 
All of that was to say it’s perfectly okay and acceptable to wear an ita bag in public. Nobody normal would make fun of you for it, because everyone has some obsession in some way.

The structure

Because ita bags are used to display one’s love and utter devotion to a character, the merch inside has to be visible. That’s why all ita bags have a clear plastic window for at least one pocket storing all the pins, plushies, and other stuff. Most ita bags have foam inserts, which are removable foam or fabric panels for you to attach spiky stuff to. Of course, there’s also the standard main compartment to store your normal, everyday things like your phone or books.

The appearance

Ita-bags are a kind of bag that does not have the same appearance as a bag. Its surface is actually full of keychains, photos, badges, or other items that depict your favorite character! These bags tend to look strange or unusual, which is how they got their name!

In Japanese, it is spelled as 痛バッグ, in which 痛 is ‘pain’ and バッグ is bag, otherwise known as ‘painful bag! These bags do not cause their owners physical pain. However, to those unfamiliar with anime and manga culture, these bags may seem slightly strange or confusing.

Ita-bags tend to have a see-through window or additional plastic coating, which can ensure that its contents will be protected from being broken. They are extremely popular, and stores such as Animate, WEGO, and Swimmer have begun to make bags available that are intentionally designed as ita-bags.

BACKGROUND OF ITA-BAGS

Ita-bags are not a new trend, but originated around 15 or 20 years ago among admirers of a type of music called visual kei. They put pictures of their favorite musicians and attach them to clothing and accessories. This resembles a popular habit of 1980s and 90s rock music admirers, who attach band-related patches and pins to their clothing. They demonstrate their appreciation for their oshimen, or favorite music group member, by covering their clothing and bags with patches and pins. In particular, these bags are intended to tell others that ‘I love this group member!’

Anime and otaku ita-bags represent a similar trend. Admirers of particular characters usually cover these bags with images of the character they like the most, as this demonstrates their appreciation of the character as well as of their favorite group member.

WHICH PLACES AND TIMES ARE SUITABLE FOR CARRYING ITA-BAGS?

There is actually no particular time when ita-bags are suitable or not, as hobbies are something that we all enjoy.
However, many people bring them along when visiting anime-themed restaurants or attending otaku conventions. These bags are especially prevalent in locations where otaku spend time, and they allow you to show that you admire your favorite character.

WHERE CAN YOU GO TO LOCATE ITEMS TO ATTACH TO AN ITA-BAG?

You can attach all kinds of things to an ita-bag, as there can be one or many of them! There are no limitations to the number of things that can be attached. I also recommend you to attend an anime convention so you can have a first-hand look at the wide variety of shapes and sizes of these bags.