Japan lowers legal age of adulthood to 18

Japan decreased the legal age of adulthood from 20 to 18 on Friday, allowing 18-year-olds to apply for credit cards and loans without parental authorization.

The reduction of Japan’s legal adulthood age coincides with the implementation of a modification to the country’s Civil Code on Friday.

Other new regulations include raising the legal age for female marriage from 16 to 18, which is the same as the legal age for male marriage. The legal drinking, smoking, and gambling age in public places, such as boat and horse racing events, will remain at 20.

Japan has lowered its legal adulthood age for the first time since it was established in 1876.
The drive to reduce the legal age of adulthood is a direct response to Japan’s fast ageing and dwindling population, which has resulted in a hollowing out of Japan’s workforce as well as increasing social welfare bills.

The Japanese government thinks that by reducing the legal age of adulthood, 18- and 19-year-olds will be encouraged to begin working and become part of the nation’s labour force, so helping to reverse the effects of the country’s hollowed-out workforce and rejuvenate a sluggish economy.

Separately, the country’s updated juvenile legislation went into force on Friday, which means that criminals aged 18 and 19 would continue to be protected under the juvenile act and will not be subject to criminal laws.

They will, however, be treated differently than adults and those aged 17 and younger under the modified juvenile statute. In addition, unlike in the past, the modified juvenile legislation authorises media outlets to disclose names and other information that can be used to identify persons who have been charged.