Often when planning a trip to Japan, the city of Oita (pronounced ooi-ta/大分) is not exactly the first thing that pops up in the mind. In fact, when I was assigned to this city for my exchange back in 2011; I relatively knew nothing about it. So much so that when I informed everyone about my exchange, the first question everyone asked was “Where is it?”, accompanied with a puzzled face. Little did I expect, Oita turned out to be a lovely place to stay while brushing up my Japanese skills. A peaceful city with a touch of countryside, it features a lovely mix of skyscrapers and also countryside landscapes.…