Please enter search keywords
5 min read
At APU, you can hardly find yourself figuring things out all alone. From choosing the right bus line or knowing which food trucks sell what, students often rely on tips passed down from friends, seniors, or even professors and staff. In this two-part “APU as a Multiplayer Game” series, we will look at everyday campus systems that students may need much time to navigate.
For the first episode, let me, as a co-player, give you some hints on how to solve the Transportation Matrix and be a master commuter in Beppu!
APU students from their second year onwards will start moving downtown if they do not wish to become RA (Resident Assistants)at the dorm AP House, thus making most of us real-deal commuters. So, for beginners, first-year students, or whoever is about to move downtown, here are some important points you need to bear in mind before moving further into the game.
Buses, or gentsuki, the Japanese word for “motorbikes,” are the two main modes of transportation that you can use to reach APU. Cars, on the other hand, are strictly prohibited.
Trains can help shorten your commute, but please note that there is no direct route to campus (as APU is in the mountains), so you will still need to take buses to get there. As someone who lives near Beppu Station, I usually ride the train from there to Kamegawa Station when I am in a rush, and that would usually cut 20 to 25 minutes of bus ride for me.
Being the most popular means of transport, buses are not just a safe, but also a convenient option. You will all need to wait for buses at Tokimachiba, which is connected to the on-campus Lawson.
With two main bus lines: Oita Kotsu (the red one) and Kamenoi Bus (the blue one), commuters can easily line up for the best-suited bus and save more time.
Oita Kotsu is the more popular one, as there are 6 distinct bus rides (50, 51, 52, 53, AS54, 55), with the 50 stopping at almost all the bus stops downtown and 55 being the express bus going straight from campus to Beppu Station. There will be more bus rides per hour compared to Kamenoi, and in the case of overcrowding, more buses can be added immediately, usually right after class periods end.
The app Bus Doko APU will let you know real-time updates on these buses, while the APU Line Timetable at each bus stop can also give you a lot of information.
While Oita Kotsu provides bus rides along the sea lines, Kamenoi buses will go through the inner part, the mountainous areas where many Beppu locals reside. Therefore, if you live near those areas or do not have late classes (6th or 7th periods), feel free to use Kamenoi as your go-to bus. Like Oita Kotsu, Kamenoi Bus also has its own webpage for you to track your buses
Commuter passes are popular among busy college students, who need to travel back and forth frequently. The passes are available for both Oita Kotsu and Kamenoi options, with multiple plans from 1 month to 1 year long. Having these passes, you can freely move between stops with the bus line you chose.
In Beppu, Nimoca is the most popular IC card, but Suica, Pasmo, etc. can also be topped up at stations or convenience stores. Your commuter pass can be integrated into your IC card, and you can add money to it to use the other bus lines or train if needed.
But what if you forgot your card? Feel free to pay with cash, and if you are riding Oita Kotsu buses, using mobile tickets via LINE is another possible option!
In case you want more control over your commuting time, having a gentsuki is highly recommended. You can go for either a new one directly from stores or a secondhand one from senpai at Minishare, a Facebook group for APU-ers and Beppu residents.
However, before purchasing your own gentsuki, make sure that a driver's license and the Compulsory Automobile Liability Insurance (CAL) to legally ride a motorbike in Japan, and another voluntary insurance to be able to park at APU. Further information can be found at the APU’s official webpage.
If you think you are a pro for this APU Game, check the boxes below to see how well you grasped the Transport Matrix!
These small decisions can help you navigate the transport system in Beppu stress-free!
Transportation in Beppu is a shared place. Please be mindful of basic etiquette when you are on board, such as avoiding phone calls on buses and preparing your payment in advance. A simple “Thank you, or ありがとうございます, “ to the driver would be nice as well.
Once you grasp how the Transport Matrix works, commuting will become less daunting and more of a daily routine. With this system mastered, you are one step closer to clearing this APU game more smoothly.
Hi guys! I'm Thanh (or Trish), a fifth-semester APS student from Vietnam. My love for Vietnamese poems and literature gave rise to my current passion for writing. Hope that through my articles, I can share with everyone the charms of APU and informative aspects of our university lives. Feel free to contact me, for both a chat and a cup of macchiato!
Copyright (c) 2016 Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University
