Since selling our car some years ago we've made do with public transportation, bicycles and our own four feet to get around, even after we moved out of the city. It hasn't been as much of a hassle as you might think, but, then again, we're easy about such things. Still, once in a while you need a car.

Several weeks ago we had to go to Ota in Gunma Prefecture to do some research. Ota is the home of the manufacturer Fuji Juko, whose most famous product is Subaru automobiles. Our mission in Ota would take us to two locations, and since we don't have a car we had to play out our itinerary beforehand to make sure we would be able to get around. Getting to Ota from where we live wasn't a problem at all. From Kita Senju in Tokyo, which is convenient from where we live, we caught the Tobu express train to Ota and got there in about an hour.

Our first destination in the city itself was on another local Tobu train line that connected to Ota Station, but there is only one train an hour. That station is 5 km from Ota Station, so walking was not a desirable option. The bus system also seemed dodgy, which is often the case in towns where large car makers are the main source of employment. Sometimes you can rent bicycles near a station, and they usually cost between ¥1,000 and ¥2,000 for two hours or so, but usually it's a place that receives a lot of tourists, which doesn't describe Ota at all.