{"id":83583,"date":"2021-08-17T18:29:11","date_gmt":"2021-08-17T09:29:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/?p=83583"},"modified":"2023-05-04T11:00:33","modified_gmt":"2023-05-04T02:00:33","slug":"legal-age-japan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/legal-age-japan\/","title":{"rendered":"What is the Legal Age of Adulthood in Japan?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In 2015, Japan decided to lower the legal age of adulthood from 20 to 18 years old<\/strong>. But this threshold applies mainly to the right to vote. For most procedures, the legal age remains 20. Article 4 of Japan\u2019s civil code defines the age of adulthood (\u6210\u5e74, seinen<\/em>) at 20 years old.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the Legal Adult Age in Japan?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the Edo period, girls were considered to be adults at age 13 and boys at age 15, but during the Meiji period in 1876, the legal age was officially raised to 20 for both genders. In 2015, Japan\u2019s governing Diet ruled to lower the age of adulthood to 18 years old<\/strong><\/a>; however, this law will not go into effect until 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adulthood in Japan after April 1, 2022<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What will change (and what won\u2019t) in 2022? Young people aged 18 and 19 will not only be able to vote but also sign a rental lease agreement <\/strong>without requiring parental consent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Currently, boys can marry at age 18 and girls at age 16, with the consent of their parents. Beginning in 2022, any Japanese citizen will be able to get married without parental consent from the age of 18<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to legislators, the idea is to give young people more responsibility by involving them earlier in public society<\/strong>, at a time when Japan is undergoing a demographic crisis<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, it will still be prohibited for teenagers under age 20 to buy cigarettes or alcohol <\/strong>(even in bars and restaurants), or to gamble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most banks will issue a credit card to an 18-year-old upon request, but parental consent will still be required until the age of 20.<\/p>\n\n\n

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What is the Legal Voting Age in Japan?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Currently, the minimum voting age in Japan is 20 years old.<\/strong> The Diet may have validated the revised legal age of 18, but these amendments to the civil code will not take effect until April 1, 2022.<\/strong> This revision applies only to voting rights,<\/strong> and not to the legal age of adulthood under civil and penal law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n