NEWS

On Sunday, April 2, the first batch of students of the College of Sustainability and Tourism, which was established as the 3rd college the previous day, took part in the 109th Beppu Hatto Onsen Festival while wearing happi coats and carrying shrines.

It was the first time for APU to participate as a university. The students and dean who participated in the hot spring festival this time carried a portable shrine in the hopes that the new college will connect with the city and people of Beppu and work together to revitalize the region. Hundreds of APU students from all three colleges participated in the festival, soaking wet with the hot springs as they marched through the streets of Beppu with smiles on their faces.

The Beppu Hatto Onsen Festival is a historical festival that has been loved by local people since 1910. The festival begins with the sacred fire lighting ceremony at Yawata Asami Shrine, and continues for four days, including events in various parts of the city, a mikoshi parade in the center, and the burning of Mt. Ogiyama. Among them, the Yu Bukkake Festival is a unique event that can only be found in the hot spring area of Beppu, where participants pour 99 tons of hot spring water on each other.

APU’s newly established College of Sustainability and Tourism consists of both sustainability science, which researches how to create a sustainable society, as well as tourism, which impacts the local economies and cultures. It is the only college in Japan that bears the word “sustainability.” Its aim is to build circular communities as well as utilize tourism to conserve resources and create value.

College of Sustainability and Tourism webpage: https://en.apu.ac.jp/st/