Things to do in Beppu?

I'm just wondering, what are some things to do for long-term students in Beppu?

I know there are the hot springs, the Hells, monkey museum, etc...

What about just every day life? I've never been to Japan, and live in a pretty rural area at the moment, so I have nothing to compare it to.

Is there good public transportation? Can you easily reach neighboring cities from there? Are there clubs, malls, movie theaters, etc. there? I keep hearing about it being a "country" area, but I don't know what that means. Anything compared to Tokyo would be country area. Does that mean it's mostly farm land?

I'm sorry if my question seems silly, but the only google answers I can find just keep mentioning the springs and stuff. If I plan to attend college there, I want some sort of life outside the campus.

I know TUJ is located in Tokyo, but that also means it will be much more expensive, so I'm trying to decide what would be a good place to study and live, but also something affordable. College is what you make it and all, but location still plays a large role in that, so the more info I can get, the better. Thanks alot :)

Hi,

Ive only been to beppu for an afternoon and there didnt seem to be much to do. Fukuoka is a not so faraway city and it's got everything you want while still being very relaxed and markedly cheaper than kansai or tokyo. People here are also extremely friendly and the food (espcially hakata ramen) is second to none. There's shops, malls, cinemas, clubs, baseball, sea, beaches, parks and probably live music too somewhere though i've still got to find it. And you can get to anywhere on kyushu and western honshu in a few hours from here.

Good luck whatever you choose!

There is a lot of country around Beppu but it's a city of 125,000+ and it's nearest bigger city neighbor Oita (20 min away by train) is even larger - 450,000+. Everything you mentioned, malls, movies, etc are readily available in both cities. I would suggest a Lonely Planet guide to Japan and the search box on this site (upper left corner of the page) for details and things to do outside the cities.

Hi Rachael

The APU campus is bit of a distance (on top of a mountain) from Beppu City. But Beppu and the nearby Oita City have everything you could imagine in terms of things to do, and as a student you can be very active in different exchange activities with the community.

Theres a big department store in Beppu, and tons of restaurants. There is even a little night life with some bars and clubs. Oita City has more in terms of night life, with more concerts and live event halls etc. But Oita City is really easy to get to from Beppu.

Neither city is "country side". There are neon signs, vending machines, and taxis everywhere. However, there isnt the fast-paced life style like Tokyo.

Movie theaters are really expensive here but of course there are local movie theaters and malls. If you are an active and outgoing person, there are plenty of chances to get out and participate in events. There are festivals all the time and many community events in Oita.

You can check the Oita International Plaza homepage (http://www.oitaplaza.jp/english/) and find back issues of THE TOMBO (an english newsletter for foreign residents of Oita) to get a better idea of what Oita Prefecture is like.