Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU)

Located in Beppu, Japan, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU for short) is a university established by the Ritsumeikan Trust in cooperation with Oita Prefecture and Beppu City. With its aim of fostering international exchange in the Asia pacific region and internationalizing higher education, APU is home to a large number of international students.

The campus itself is situated on a mountain, and the view from the campus is great. The weather of Beppu is pleasant too as summers and winters are less harsh relative to other parts of Japan.

School’s Main Website | International Student Website | Exchange Student Website

GPA requirement:

2.0 / 4.0

Language of instruction:

Japanese, English

Courses:

APU operates on a quarterly system (2 quarters instead of 1 semester, totaling 4 quarters per year). Most of the classes offered are broken up into two 1.5-hour session across the 7 weeks of school (1 quarter). Grading is generally up to the professors as there is no bell curve enforced.

The classroom is typically a big lecture hall with many rows of tables and benches. In class, there are limited opportunities to interact with the local students as they take their courses in Japanese.

Course descriptions can be found in respective college’s webpage!

Japanese language courses
APU provides a range of Japanese language courses; from simple foundation courses to that of preparing you for a career in Japan. There will be a placement test for international students to decide which starting level of Japanese language courses is most suitable.

Course registration process:

The course registration process is slightly complicated as course bidding is done for 2 quarters at one go. You will be given some virtual credits which you can use to bid for the courses you want, with the option of dropping them later after the bidding round.

There is only one bidding round and lasts for a day. As students cannot bid after that, it creates the incentive to load as many courses as possible and dropping the less desirable ones later. Correction can be made within 2 days after the bidding round is open.

Flying Chalks’ tip: Look up the list of offered courses and decide which to take prior to the bidding round to avoid a last minute scramble!

Attendance policy:

As a general mandate, you should not record more than 3 absences per course per quarter. Having said that, the attendance policy and its enforcement is largely dependent on the professors.

APU is a large university with 13 main buildings across the whole campus:

1. Building A (Administration)
2. Building B (Faculty Offices)
3. Building BII (Faculty Offices II)
4. Building C (Millennium Hall)
5. Building D (Media Center)
6. Building E (Student Union)
7. Building EII (Student Union II)
8. Building F (Classrooms)
9. Building FII (Classrooms II)
10. Building G (Gymnasium)
11. Building H (Graduate School)
12. AP House 1 (Dormitory)
13. AP House 2 (Dormitory)

More information about the buildings can be found here!

Campus map:

Selected facilities:

Library
The library is a conducive for studying and offers laptop borrowing services for students.

Language Center
For Japanese language students, this doubles as a library for language-related material. Advanced-level Japanese language students can also book appointments to have one-on-one sessions with volunteer students to improve their Japanese.

Gymnasium
APU has a gymnasium, which is located at Building G, where students can enjoy indoor sports such as basketball, volleyball, badminton, table tennis, and indoor football.

Fitness Center
APU also has a fitness center in the gymnasium where there are more than 10 different kinds of training machines including treadmills, bikes, and free weights. To use the gym, you are first required to attend a Fitness Orientation and watch a short instructional video. After which, you will be given a Fitness Room card that you can use to access the Fitness Room.

Outdoor sports facilities
Other than Gymnasium and Fitness center, students also have access to APU’s five tennis courts, two multipurpose sports fields, swimming pool, and a basketball court. These facilities are available to all university members upon reservation.

Food on campus:

1. Cafeteria

APU’s Cafeteria is the most common place for APU students to have their meal due to its relatively cheap prices. It is located on the first floor of Building E (Student Union). This cafeteria-style restaurant is big enough to fit up to 900 people and has a nice interior with glass windows that allow sunlight to stream into the cafeteria. 

The Cafeteria serves a wide variety of Asian food such as red, yellow, or green Thai curry (Thailand), Nasi Goreng (Indonesia / Malaysia), Tandoori chicken (India), as well as halal and vegetarian menus. During the multicultural weeks, the Cafeteria will also feature dishes from selected countries around the World.

2. Pacific Café

Besides Cafeteria, there is also The Pacific Café located on the first floor of Building E (Student Union) which offers light meals like sandwiches, naan, hamburgers, French fries, cake, parfait, and coffee. With its varied seating choices (table, counter or sofa), this is the best place to relax and enjoy your meal.

3. APU Co-op

APU Co-op sells a mix of ethnic food and basic items such as bread, snacks, frozen foods, water and milk, etc. Other than that, it also offers various goods and services that students may require in their university life. At APU Co-op, students can also purchase stationery, everyday items, foodstuffs, books, computers, etc.

4. APU Table

APU Table is a mobile kiosk that comes to campus to sell various food items like healthy bento sets, kebabs, bread, quiche, takoyaki, crepes, etc. The locations for each kiosk can differ throughout the week. It is a good option for lunch as you can enjoy your meal overlooking the Beppu bay under the blue skies.

As APU follows a quarterly system (2 quarters instead of 1 semester, totaling 4 quarters per year), exams come relatively quicker for those who are used to the semester system. In between the 7 weeks of school (1 quarter), there will be a break week when students can spend their time travelling around the region or Japan. For exchange students, school life is relatively relaxed and there are one or two courses specially catered for you to learn more about the Japanese culture.

Orientation program:

The orientation program for exchange students lasts around 2 weeks and covers information about the school (programmes, applications, and ceremonies, etc) and living in Japan (shopping, insurance, medical services, etc).

If you stay at the school dormitories, there will be a separate orientation to help you familiarize with your fellow residents. Overall, the arrival and settling-in experience in APU is generally well-organized.

Buddy program:

In APU, there is a buddy program called “APU Buddy” that matches foreign students with one or more buddy to help them better integrate into life there. As the buddy will be assigned to you before the start of the school term, you can contact them for help if needed. Upon arrival, you will be brought on a campus tour as well as be invited to a welcome and farewell party as part of the program.

To apply for the buddy program, you will need to request for it in the application checklist during your application process.

University events:

1. Multicultural Camp

Every spring, APU will hold a 2days-1night Multicultural Camp in Beppu City to welcome international and domestic students and to promote intercultural exchange. As such, the proportion of the participants is usually 50% international and 50% domestic students. The camp will feature various activities such as bonding games, hiking, cooking, etc.

2. Multicultural Weeks

Each year, during the spring (May-July) and fall (November-January) semesters, APU holds the Multicultural Weeks event. Each week of the Multicultural Weeks showcases a different country, whose culture will be introduced and celebrated through a range of activities.

3. Tenku Campus Festival

The Tenku campus festival is one that features ethnic food stalls, traditional dances, colourful performing arts, displays by student volunteer circles, and much more. Held over two days in the fall semester, this festival is one of the biggest events in APU. It never fails to attract massive crowds with its fireworks display finale at the end of the event.

Student clubs:

In APU, there are more than 160 clubs ranging from sports to arts which are available for all students to join, including exchange students. Sports, especially soccer, are usually the most popular in APU. You can find more about the student clubs here!

APU is located in Beppu, which is a small, quaint, and serene town with various activities and events that students can partake in across a semester of exchange. Although life in this “suburban” part of Japan can be simple and at times boring, revel in the fact that Beppu is a highly popular tourist destination! There is also no shortage of amenities and is well-known for its hot spring baths.

Find out more about other places you can visit in Beppu here!

For food:

Beppu has various food places and restaurants serving a variety of foods such as Indian cuisine, Japanese ramen, sushi, Korean barbecue, western food, and many more. There is also the Youme Town (shopping mall nearby) that students usually frequent.

Flying Chalks’ recommendations:

1. Kamesho Kurukuru Sushi
2. Tomonaga Panya
3. Okamotoya Baiten
4. Toyotsune
5. Seafood Kaizen Izutsu

For daily necessities and groceries:

The two most popular supermarkets in Beppu are “MaxValu” and “Hirose”. “MaxValu” is a Japanese retail chain which sells a wide array of necessities and groceries. “Hirose”, which is located near Beppu Tsurumigaoka High School, is more known for its stock of fresh vegetables and fruits.

Flying Chalks’ recommendation: MaxValue is recommended for its large variety of items at reasonable prices!

For nightlife and entertainment:

For sightseeing, you can visit the Jigoku (a collection of hot springs at north Beppu) as well as visit any of the many onsen scattered throughout Beppu. Other than that, you can also hike up Mount Tsaurumi and enjoy the sights from the mountain top.

For nightlife, Beppu has clubs such as Aura, which also holds frequent events.

For shopping:

As Beppu is a quiet town, there are not many shopping places for students to visit. Youme Town is one of the few, if not the only, shopping mall selling an assortment of clothes in the area.

Getting from Fukuoka International Airport to Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University:

• There is an airport pick-up service provided by APU for its students. Arrival assistance will be provided at Fukuoka Airport (International Terminal) and Oita Airport (Domestic Terminal). If you arrive at Fukuoka Airport’s Domestic Terminal, you can take the free shuttle bus to its International Terminal for the airport pick-up service.
   
• By taxi, it will take you around 90 minutes without traffic.
   
• You can also take the "Toyonokuni" Highway Bus to Beppuwan Service Area (APU’s bus stop). It will take around 140 minutes from Hakata Bus Terminal and 100 minutes from Fukuoka Airport International Terminal.