A Japanese government advisory panel has proposed lowering the adult age to 18 from 20. What do you think about it?

Lowering the age when Japanese people can be considered adults? (That's a good one)

noborito,

The Korean/Japanese have no rights to vote in Japan. They makeup about 15% of the population

You mean about .15% of the population, right?

Glad we could clear that one up.

I'm not sure what all this implies. Are only "adults" allowed to drink or smoke or vote? I think voting should start younger (than 20), drinking later, and smoking later also. But what does this age change do?

I thnk many here would prefer you not to say "Gai**n" please. A poll found it offensive to 40% of foreigners in Japan. Many thanks

Much agreed. Also, it sounds kind of cheesy to mix up some well-known Japanese word into English unless you are referring to the Japanese mindset of what the current meaning of "Gaijin" implies.

Freeinjapan, whilst personally i reckon 16 is a decent age. I thnk many here would prefer you not to say "Gai**n" please. A poll found it offensive to 40% of foreigners in Japan. Many thanks.

As a person who has already been drinking in Japan since the age of 18 (albeit, as a gaijin, not that it matters), I see this as more of a ploy to further pad the conviction rate... think about it, a higher conviction rate for all the juniors that break the law under 20, slam dunk to make everyone think the Japanese legal system is effective.

it still doesn't match the mental age of 12

Dont vote at all.... then all the "powerdrunks" of this world would have no mendate...Sorry folks none of you have what it takes... The idea of campaigning for only a month is just plain ridiculous. At least the Education system should include "Voting 101" , "your Voice", "What Democracy?", "the Savage Capitalism Manifesto", "beating around the bush aka the Failure of the Electoral System, and "Vote with Your Wallet. There should be a license to vote. I shiver to think of the people i know who have the right to. And dont forget that in Japan a physical 18 usually means a moral and intellectual 14 at best....In a lot of cases anyway...

Great idea, although doesn't make a difference as I don't think our hosts ever really grow up.

18 is okay in general (my country has it), 16 is okay for voting. Allthough there will be a too low percentage using that posibility. Finally in Japan, the younger criminals can be charged for crimes. Maybe a reason for some of these, to think twice, before they do any mistake...

Australia is considering lowering the voting age to 16, which is a great idea as many young peple work and pay tax, and have formed political views (I had at that age). Japan is gonna seem like a real immature country if it does not lower it to 18.

They should raise it to 30.

Its a great idea for the 20 yr olds that commit crimes and are given a slap because they are consider minors. As for alcohol, continue to leave it at 20 or raise it to 21.

What's the difference? Your typical 18 year-old Japanese isn't going to vote anyway and your typical 18 year-old Japanese can already drink because they never get carded. The only positive change I can see with this is that 18-year olds can be charged as adults for crimes.

How about letting the whole population vote. The Korean/Japanese have no rights to vote in Japan. They makeup about 15% of the population and when it suits Japaneses statisticians they are included in the Japanese citizen numbers, and when they don't, they are eliminate. Why not give permanent residents the right to vote seeing almost no one can become Japanese.

Great news for the brewers!

Is this politically motivated-to gain votes from the younger generation? Otherwise, this is great news. 18 and 19 year-olds are much wiser in the technology age. Opps, I didn't mean wiser, more informed.

Great idea. And while they are at that, why don't the try to raise the age of consent to 18 from 13?