Final answer:
Japan has a better public transportation system than China due to its smaller size and population, which makes it easier to manage and maintain, a history of earlier industrialization, and a cultural focus on technological innovation. (option A)
Step-by-step explanation:
Japan's superior public transportation system compared to China's can be attributed to several factors. Firstly, Japan's smaller size and population relative to China make it easier to develop and maintain an efficient and comprehensive public transit network. Secondly, Japan's early and sustained industrialization, which was given a significant boost in the post-World War II period with support from the United States, has afforded it a more mature infrastructure. Japan's geographical and cultural push towards innovation also drove them to become a technological power.
Moreover, Japan's economic development has enabled continued investment into public transport systems to accommodate its urban population.
China, by contrast, faced obstacles to industrialization due to its large, often impoverished population, which provided abundant cheap labor, thus reducing the impetus for labor-saving industrialization. China's major coal deposits were also located far from the main centers of population and industry, hindering the generation of cheap energy. Despite these challenges, China has made significant advancements in transportation in recent years.