Oita University?

[Outkast]

95% chance of going in September for a year. Anyone been or know something about it? Or about the Oita proper in general?

Thanks for all info.

[Bueller_007]

95% chance of going in September for a year. Anyone been or know something about it? Or about the Oita proper in general?

Thanks for all info.

I don't particularly care for Oita prefecture. Beppu is highly over-rated as an onsen location (although Yufuin nearby is quite nice, and there are some nice mountains in between).

I've heard bad things about Oita city in general as well, but I guess you can enjoy any place if you try to make the most of it.

There are lots of great places in Kyushu though, so even if you don't like Oita city, you'd still be able to get out and do some fun stuff on the weekends.

And there's a great food in Oita called とり天: chicken tempura. Highly recommended.

[Outkast]

Anything in particular to watch out for? I'm going to keep my location, but it would be nice to know what I'm getting into...

[Bueller_007]

Anything in particular to watch out for? I'm going to keep my location, but it would be nice to know what I'm getting into...

I just heard Oita City was really dull (and industrial, maybe???). This from a guy who lived there for 6 months before moving to Osaka because he just "had to" get out.

Kyushu is beautiful, but if you're looking for excitement, that's not the right place.

[annie]

This from a guy who lived there for 6 months before moving to Osaka because he just "had to" get out.

You hear that from a lot of people. Especially JETs who envision Japan as Tokyo and then get placed in the middle of nowhere.

To judge how truly dull a place is, see how often the trains come. And what other public transportation there is. Yet, if you're doing a study abroad program, Tokyo can be one of the worst places to improve your Japanese. (There are too many other things to do)

Silly me, I thought living in a city with a shinkansen stop would make it an interesting place. It's not. Though, I imagine town might be marginally more exciting if I weren't an hour walk from the nearest izakaya, with a last bus that stops at 5:30 on the weekends. There is such a thing as too dull.

[Outkast]

Sounds about like my situation right now in Charlotte. It's a big city sure, but the university is located on the very northeast edge of town, so without a car or understanding the bus system, a person is out of luck. Add to that the fact that a major expressway cuts us off from the rest of the city, making walking into the good parts of town almost impossible (and illegal...)

I guess it really depends on how people view fun. When I don't have people to hang out with, I try to explore my surrounding area. That works better when transportation or walking is set up right to do it, but like mentioned above, some places are just long stretches of expressway and highway. I hope Oita is not like that (or if it is, then I hope it has a decent transportation system.)

One of the possible upshots is that the cost of living for Oita is supposed to be a lot cheaper than more urban areas like Osaka or Tokyo... allegedly.

[Bueller_007]

One of the possible upshots is that the cost of living for Oita is supposed to be a lot cheaper than more urban areas like Osaka or Tokyo... allegedly.

There are price differences, yes. Lower real estate values and less "professional" jobs -> lower prices. But if you know where to shop in Osaka (and I assume Tokyo) commodity prices are about the same. Rent, I imagine, would be much, much cheaper in Oita though.

[annie]

One of the possible upshots is that the cost of living for Oita is supposed to be a lot cheaper than more urban areas like Osaka or Tokyo... allegedly.

There are price differences, yes. Lower real estate values and less "professional" jobs -> lower prices. But if you know where to shop in Osaka (and I assume Tokyo) commodity prices are about the same. Rent, I imagine, would be much, much cheaper in Oita though.

My grocery bill has probably doubled since I moved to Nagano. I'm paying a lot more for fruits and vegetables because I don't have access to the direct produce stands. And the one grocery store that's convenient to my house (on my way home from work, rather than a 20 minute bike ride) isn't very cheap.

And rent out here isn't as cheap as you'd hope it would be. especially with the key moneys and other added costs.

[Bueller_007]

My grocery bill has probably doubled since I moved to Nagano. I'm paying a lot more for fruits and vegetables because I don't have access to the direct produce stands.

And rent out here isn't as cheap as you'd hope it would be. especially with the key moneys and other added costs.

Haha. Well there's your problem. Key money.

Plus, you're buying fruit in Japan.

It's cheaper to just get your scurvy treated when you go back home.

[annie]

Plus, you're buying fruit in Japan.
It's cheaper to just get your scurvy treated when you go back home.

When I lived in Chiba, there was a day at the local produce shop (fondly referred to as the mafia market) where I spent ¥1800 (about USD $15) and came home with 4 apples, 4 tomatoes, 5 kiwi, 4 onions, 6 potatoes, enoki mushrooms, maitake mushrooms, a bag of green peppers, a red pepper, lettuce, spinach, 2 avocados, 3 carrots, and 3 bulbs of garlic.
None from China.

If anyone is in the Chiba area... or wants to ride the Tozai-sen almost to the end, I can give you directions.

[Outkast]

That's interesting... The university supposedly links you with housing of some kind or another, so I'm not sure if I would run into the key money problem that way.

Alternately, I could grow my own fruit if I could find a patch of dirt to do it at- the climate's good for it anyway, I think. That's only said half jokingly, by the way...

My primary cost concern is rent.