I’m an American who lived in a small city in Japan for a while. The city only had two small railroad stations, and so most people owned cars. Or at least most working adults that I knew owned cars.

HOWEVER, for day-to-day getting around, people rode bicycles, and if that wasn’t an option, then they took the bus. I think their cars were more for getting groceries and for driving their kids around. I’m not completely sure. But you absolutely didn’t need a car.

And if you wanted to travel a big distance to go to another city? Train or bus. I think their highways were all toll roads, and so it was cheaper to take the bus.

Like you said, it was just so “functional”. If you went out in the city in the middle of the work day, you’d see all of these ancient people going around doing their daily business in the city. In America, those same people would be trapped in their houses or forced into segregated senior living because they’re too old to drive. You don’t see them in America, because we discriminate against them.