CO-OP ESSENTIALS
Writer: Edsel Pragiwaka Adristi | Illustrator: Edsel Pragiwaka Adristi
CO-OP (コープ) serves as the main one-stop shopping for many APU students. We usually go there to fulfill our daily necessities such as foods and bathing goods. We also often make a quick stop before or after class to buy snacks as a way to fill in our belly. However, did you know that other than daily necessities, CO-OP also sells a lot more than meets the eye? Yes, Campus CO-OP also sells tickets for various things such as Onsen day pass, plane tickets or even car rental. Even more awesome than that you can issue a credit card that can be used everywhere you go! If you wanted to know more, go no further because we are going to explain it right here in this article, check it out!
Onsen Day Pass
If you ever wanted to get the real experience of what it means to be in Beppu, then you should really visit the hot springs (温泉) places there are in Beppu as it is known as the hot spring capital of Japan. It ranges from really rudimentary ones to a really fancy one. However, if you want to get the most of it you really need to go Kannawa (鉄輪) which is famous for their hot springs. In our honest opinion, you won’t regret your trip to Kannawa because it is a truly spectacular place. One thing you’re going to regret is not knowing about the next information. As an APU student, you are super lucky because you can get a day pass to stroll around in Kannawa for a cheaper price. Buying it is quite simple, you just need to head up to the travel counter which is located in the corner inside of CO-OP, then you ask for an Onsen Day Pass which is worth around ¥2000 for one ticket.
Plane Ticket
Once you’ve visited enough hot springs in Beppu you would feel the need to explore more of Japan. In order to do that, the most effective option to get out of Kyushu Island is with an airplane! Yes, you can go with ferries but if you are impatient and can’t stand seasickness, then an airplane is probably the most suitable option for you as it does not take a lot of time to travel from one place to another. In Campus CO-OP what’s interesting is there might be a steal deal lurking around the counters of the CO-OP that you wouldn’t probably notice if you are buying it on the web yet, you can directly buy the ticket at CO-OP! Everything in CO-OP is mostly in Japanese but there are international students doing part-time job there will help you with your purchases. So, buying a plane ticket is pretty much the as easy as buying an Onsen Day Pass, but needs a bit more important details such as names and age.
Car Rental
You might or might not need this but it is really useful to know that you can rent a car through Campus CO-OP. Well, it's not like the campus coop is lending you a car directly, however they can help you with finding a car renting service. You might be wondering why would I rent a car? It’s simply just when you want to go somewhere that requires a car because it cannot be reached by bus or any public transportation of any form, then you might need this. The prices may vary depending on the type of car you rent, but one thing for sure it requires you to be at least 20 years old and have a driving license.
Holiday Package
It’s your first time being in Japan, you know nothing about tourism in this country but you wanted to go out and explore? Worry not, because CO-OP can help you with that! In CO-OP they had their own travel packages that we think are cheaper than if you are reserving your own. Same deal as the Onsen and Plane tickets, you just need to head to the travel counter in Campus CO-OP and tell them which package you wanted to reserve, again it also require you to use Japanese but there might be some international part-time worker in CO-OP that might be more than willing to help you out.
Credit Card
Last but not least, the highlight of today’s article and probably the item that you will use the most. Yes, you can apply for a credit card in CO-OP, which you can use immediately when it arrives at your doorstep. We have a step by step guide on how to apply for it, but only for this one, we challenge you to do it in full Japanese because as it turns out it is packed with all of the Japanese comprehension you can think of. The picture below will briefly explain the step-by-step process of making a credit card in campus CO-OP.
Hopefully, this guide will help you be more comfortable when using the CO-OP and makes the most use out of it. Other than those above as you may know CO-OP also sells triple tickets which can save you a lot of money when going downtown. There is also a double ticket that can be used when you want to go to Kannawa. The CO-OP is a really complete convenient store when you think about it.
