As I ride the bus to Aeon Mall to get groceries or catch a bus into the city, I see rice fields and small residential areas behind them. If I was driving a car, I would not get to appreciate the mountains all around Akita wherever I go, or see the environment that make rice fields possible and the livelihood they give the families tending them. By taking the train, I get to see high schoolers on their way home from their school in Akita City. Walking around the city, I see people of all ages shopping, exercising, and talking with friends or coworkers. By using the Japanese public transportation system, I am observing and participating in Japanese culture in a way I just couldn't if I was driving everywhere.
