Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University

I have been living in Japan since September 2003, again as a student. The last time I was here under the same status was back in 1978 when I was enrolled at Sophia University in Tokyo.

Being at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU) is a completely different experience. It is great being away from the big city life. I had spent a number of months during the past 3 years living in Tokyo and I had struggled with the long, crowded commutes into the city. Functioning on little sleep is not always easy. That explains all the tired faces that you see when you walk around in Tokyo. It is also clear why the "energy drinks" do gangbuster business in the cities.

Now I am staying on top of a mountain overlooking the city of Beppu with the ocean in the distance. The air is clean and the water tastes so good. Running around the campus and the farming villages in the surrounding area is awesome. Sometimes, all I hear is the wind and the bamboo rubbing against each other in the hills. An occasional crow will break the silence. The photograph above is of a typical fellow traveler that you will encounter on the side of a now less-traveled country road in Japan.

Being out on the quiet country roads reminds me of the days when I was running the length of Japan. I only have another 2 to 3 months to enjoy this before I head back to my real home.