More frequently than others, certain pupils are asked to complete duties. Children as young as 6 or 7 years old who are traveling to and from school alone through train cars in search of seats are a typical sight on Japanese public transportation. The degree of independence is the result of "group reliance," not self-sufficiency, according to cultural anthropologist Dwayne Dixon. This is because children are taught from an early age that they may be asked to serve or help others, and this is reinforced at school where students take turns cleaning and serving lunch rather than depending on staff. As a result of this division of labor and rotation of responsibilities for common places, children develop a sense of pride in their work and gain a practical understanding of the repercussions of their actions because they will have to clean up any messes they make.
