Bicycles in particular became a valued asset that played a critical role in providing transportation for both work and daily life. However, the only means people had to get about in those resource-deprived times were walking, cycling, or taking overcrowded trains. These difficult circumstances forced people to struggle just to get by in their daily lives. When the Second World War ended in 1945, Japan faced a decisive lack of all manner of goods and materials due to the devastation wrought by the war.