Left: Your favorite and friendly neighborhood death machine. Right: Your not so favorite or friendly duckmobile. We asked 1000 Japanese natives what the best ways are to traverse Japan (excluding the Shinkansen). Here are the top responses we received: 1) By Hot Air Balloon. The air balloon has grown in popularity alongside the annual international balloon festival that takes place in Saga. Only 30% of balloons get lost after being blown out to sea! (For reference, in 2021 55