Japan’s Lower House Passes Bill to Lower Adult Age from 20 to 18

May 30, 2018

Tokyo- The House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Diet, Japan's parliament, passed on Tuesday a bill to lower the country's adult age from the current 20 to 18.

The bill to amend the Civil Code was approved by a majority vote with support from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, Komeito, as well as Nippon Ishin no Kai and others.

The bill was sent to the House of Councillors. The Upper House will start deliberations on the bill on Wednesday and the bill is expected to be enacted by the end of the current regular Diet session.

If the bill is passed into law, the new adult age will be implemented on April 1, 2022, marking the first change since the country laid down the adult age as 20 years old in 1876.

At a Lower House meeting on Tuesday, the LDP emphasized that lowering the adult age will encourage people to think as adults, as well as rejuvenate Japanese society, which is facing a rapidly aging population.

The largest opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan voted against the Civil Code revision, arguing that the country's measures to protect young people from fraudulent business practices are still insufficient.

In line with lowering the adult age, the bill will ease the age requirements for some occupations, including certified public accountant, to 18 and allow people to apply for 10-year passports when they turn 18.

The legal age for marriage for females will be lifted from the current 16 to 18 to equal that of males.

The legal age for drinking, smoking and betting in publicly managed gambling will be kept at 20, in response to strong concerns about health problems and addiction.

The change in the adult age will also enable people aged 18 and 19 to have credit cards without consent from their parents.

Amid concerns that the number of consumer problems is expected to increase as a result, the government has introduced a bill to allow unconscionable contracts to be canceled, a measure that has been already approved by the Lower House. Jiji Press