ON THE BULLET TRAIN BETWEEN TOKYO AND KYOTO, it seemed that a squirrel could travel rooftop to rooftop between the two great cities without touching the ground. This immense population density was also concentrated in land that was a flat coastal plain barely above sea level. No housing was in the hills, unlike California. This seemed precarious. for obvious reasons. The reason? Most people rely on the excellent public transportation system. California, is a ruggedly individualistic car culture. Japan is exactly the opposite: a group-centric public transportation society.