Do you think the age of criminal adulthood in Japan should be lowered from 20 to 18?

I think if and only if full adult rights and responsibilities are given to an 18 yr old. Criminal adulthood should be the last thing to come down.

Yes. People understand the difference between right and wrong by the time they are 18.

Actually, I'd like to see it dropped to 16.

Yes... adulthood should coincide with the school leaving age, which in most countries is 18, so yes, bring it down to 18.

YES!

Yes, lower it.

18 works well in many countries. Voting and gambling should come later, let them get used to be adults first.

Of course.

yes!

Yes, while the brain may still be developing, the understanding of consequences for your actions is part of the training it needs to be socialised in to a normal adult human being. We are a social species.

Yes, but everything else should also be 18 in that case. Drinking at 20 is ridiculous

Absolutely. yes.

Yes. It's a great way to instantly reduce juvenile crime!

It's an interesting question. Japan is certainly outside the global norm on this but recent studies are also showing that the part of our brain responsible for decision making is not fully formed until we reach our mid-20s. I read an interesting article a few months ago showing how this was reflected in a huge drop in criminal propensity after around age 25 (sorry, I don't remember where it was). That said, people should not be set free without consequences but perhaps there should be a greater focus on rehabilitation and an extension of youth prisons up to age 25 rather than only for those under 18 (or 20 in Japan).