An ita bag is any type of bag (handbag, backpack, tote, etc) that is decorated with fandom
merchandise. This can include can badges/buttons, enamel pins, keychains, cards, plushies, and more. The purpose of an ita bag is to display the owner's love for and dedication to a
particular character or piece of media.
In Japan, where they
originate, ita bags are typically adorned with dozens of the same official badge of one anime or manga character. "Ita", meaning "pain" in Japanese, is usually said to denote the "pain" of the owner's wallet from spending a fortune on gachapon machines in hopes of getting the same badge.
In America, ita bags vary much more. They can have any amount of pins, from 2 to over
100. Repeat bags aren't nearly as common; bags with all different kinds of pins are popular. Ita bags themed around more than just a single character are also more common, such as bags about a ship, game, series, entire franchise, or even every fandom the owner likes. They also commonly have non-fandom decorations on them in addition to
merchandise, such as rosettes.
