"Dragon Teng": The age of adulthood in Japan has dropped to 18 years old, and the views of the Japanese people

Body translation

Recently, Japan lowered the age of adulthood from 20 to 18 by reversing the Civil Code and changing the legal definition of an adult for the first time in over 140 years. So why did Japan change the adulthood age, and how do ordinary Japanese citizens feel about this new change? Let’s hit the streets of Tokyo to find out.

Recently, Japan lowered the age of adulthood from 20 to 18 through an amendment to the Civil Code, which is the first time in 140 years that Japan has changed its legal definition of "adult". So why is Japan changing the age of adulthood, and how does the Japanese people view this change? Let's go to the streets of Tokyo to find out.

Comment translation

Q: Have you heard the recent news that Japan is lowering its adulthood age from 20 to 18?

Q: Did you know the recent news that Japan is going to lower the adult age from 20 to 18?

A: Yes. It’s been a hot topic for quite some time, I’ve seen a lot of news about it.

A: I've heard that this has been a hot topic for a while, and I've seen a lot of news reports on this topic.

Q: What was your immediate reaction to this?

Q: What was your immediate reaction to this?

A: The period between the ages of 20 and 18 maybe only 2 years. But for young people, those 2 years are very long. If we’re too quick to say, “you’re 18 so you’re an adult now.” I think there will be a lot of trouble in the future.

A: Although the difference between 20 and 18 years is only 2 years, for young people, 2 years is also a long time. If we're in a hurry right now and say, "You're 18 years old, an adult." "I think it's going to be a lot of trouble in the future.

A: I thought it would happen eventually, so I guess it’s only natural. I think that 18-year-olds are already adults, and I think they deserve to be treated in the same way as adults.

A: I think it's the trend to lower the age of adulthood, so I think this move is a matter of course. In my opinion, 18 years old is already considered an adult, and they deserve to be treated in the same way as other adults.

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Q: For those who might not be familiar, what does this mean? What can 18-year-olds do now that they couldn’t before?

Q: What does this mean for people who are not familiar with Japan? After lowering the age, can 18-year-olds do what they couldn't do before?

A: More decisions can be made by themselves without parental consent. For example, they’d be able to get their own credit card. Also, they will be able to get married without parental consent.

A: Many times, they can make their own decisions without the need for parental consent. For example, they can get their own credit cards. In addition, parental permission is not required to marry.

Q: Are there any limitations that will stay the same?

Q: What limitations will remain?

A: They still ban smoking and drinking alcohol for people under the age of 20, for health reasons.

A: For the sake of health, people under the age of 20 are prohibited from smoking and alcohol.

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Q: Why do you think the government decided to lower the adulthood age to 18?

Q: Why do you think the government lowered the age of adulthood to 18?

A: Maybe to lower the average age of marriage… Perhaps the goal is to get people married as early as possible, considering Japan’s declining birth rate and aging population.

A: It may be to lower the average age of marriage as a result... Perhaps the aim is for people to marry as early as possible, let's think of Japan's declining birth rate and growing elderly population.

Original translation: Longteng.com http://www.ltaaa.cn Please indicate the source when reprinting

A: Even if you take a look at some the countries abroad, ther are countries that socially recognize 16 and 18-year-olds as adults, rather than waiting until they turn 20 or 21 years old.

Q: If you look at other countries, some countries treat 18 or even 16 as the age of majority, rather than having to wait until 20 or 21.

A: Maybe it’s because the percentage of the elderly in Japan has grown too large, while the percentage of young people is declining, so they end up only listening to the opinions of a bunch of old people. Old people are so self-centered that they only focus on their own rights, but perhaps they realized the need to listen to the younger generation as well, so they decided to make this change.

A: This may be because Japan's elderly population is growing too much, while the proportion of young people is declining, and the government can only listen to a group of elderly people. Older people are so self-centered that they only care about their rights. So maybe the government realized the need to listen to the younger generation and decided to lower the age of adulthood.

Q: Are there any differences between Japanese youth and youth overseas?

Q: Is there any difference between young people in Japan and young people in other countries?