Do you think the legal age for drinking in Japan should be lowered from 20?

yes, from 20 to 17

Does it matter? Japanese (all) youth find away if they really want to give it try.

Why?

Drinking alcohols is not good to less than twenty years old. The liquor harms under age’s brain and stops their cerebral development. I heard from a doctor that our brains keep on growing up until twenty years old. Developing brain makes one good person than a minority drinking sake. So I disagree with questioner. Of course, I do object that an underage drinks alcohol. Incidentally, I’m twenty years old now and I can be permitted to drink alcohol, but I don’t drink sake. I just cannot drink it. It’s not tastes for me. My taste is still underage. (＞o＜)

Shogo, does it mean then that all the French, Italian, Portuguese, etc. etc. kids are brain damaged? They all drink at dinner.

I say eliminate the drinking age.

Since I'm well past 20, I actually don't care.

Why not lower it to 18.

Said that back home not uncommon for a kid or a teen to share a drink at home with their folks during supper. When we turn adult we know most of the smells and flavours and thus are less likely to be taken by surprise(If you know what I mean).

I've met 19 years old women at clubs because they never check for ID's. So it really doesn't matter if they lower the age.

The drinking age should be raised to 65, and it should be made a maximum.

When the Islamists take over the rest of the world, including Japan, there won't be any drinking, period.

It's practically 18 already anyway. Kids go to college and they go to nomikais. Most izakayas don't check for ID.

If they are responsible enough to drive a car at 18, why can't they be allowed to drink alcohol at 18? It's always baffled me.

and go to war too PeaceWarrior.

All states in America have 21 for their drinking ages. Most used to be much lower, but the govt. dangled a carrot in front of them with high way funds to change it to 21.

The bad thing though, is that you can enlist in the arm forces much younger than that, but cannot have a beer with your buddies after a fire fight.

zichi.

Got to disagree, been to countries where they get all the freedoms and responsibilities dumped on them in one big lot = train-wreck.

Prefer the way it is done back home, from age 14 onwards you are given various rights and responsibilities. We are considered adults at age 18 but can't vote till age 19, gambling at age 22. Smoking is age 16 as is driving a small-engine bike(bigger than 50cc), etc.

Don't just dump it on people as it is done in Japan, etc. It takes preparation and maturing to make a prepared adult.

Shogo, does it mean then that all the French, Italian, Portuguese, etc. etc. kids are brain damaged?

I suppose the Jews could get an honorable mention as their traditions have drinking at young ages as well. And a lot of Jews have been accused of being geniuses.

The trouble with studies that declare alcohol bad for young brains is that they tend to make their rat subjects swim in the stuff for hours every single day to get their results. Its like making kids eat nothing but candy for a week, and since they all have tummy aches, you declare that candy causes tummy aches!

In my experience the dumbest people drink like fish. The people who never drink tend to be mid range, though plenty of knobs in that bag too, and they tend say stupid things about subjects like this. The people who are insightful and get my respect are people who drink in moderation, many from a young age.

I agree with It's ME that rights should come out step by step. But yes, the drinking age should be lowered. That said, the age at which you can purchase alcohol, drink at home, or with family, and the age at which you can drink outside the home without family should be different.

The drinking age never should have been raised so high anyway. Its just making for more immature adults, something that people complain about incessantly, but never seem to want to do what it takes to change it. And, by lowering it, it will make half the population cease to criminals flouting the law, and I should think that is a good thing.

no

What, the older Japanese can't even handle thier drinking. How many times have we heard, "I was drunk, I don't remember...."

i would up it to about 40.

No. It would never happen either everything revolves around 20 in Japan.

Thanks Piracy. Forgot about my blood.

@zichi - why 18? Why any age? Also (generally), if people need to pass a test to drive a car, why not need to pass a test to have a child, etc?

No.

Drinking kills. Let's ban it altogether.

@Zichi - my country too, and I look at the issues there with teenager drunkeness there - has to be time for a change and raise the limit there. It won't stop everyone, but making it harder to allow regular binging has to be a good thing. It is really sad to see these kids destroy themselves.

Only for girls and only in bar settings, har!