Yomiuri: Lowering adulthood to 18 to be discussed
The government will set up a committee to discuss revising laws to change the age of legal adulthood from 20 years old to 18 in the wake of Monday's Diet approval of a referendum law for constitutional reform. In principle, the age for eligible voters will be 18 or older under the referendum law, which is expected to be enforced in 2010. But the voting age will be 20 or older until related laws are revised...If such laws are revised, 18-year-olds will be considered adults, creating a significant change in national systems. A revision of the Public Offices Election Law would increase the number of eligible voters. A revision of the Civil Code would allow 18- and 19-year-olds to marry and to buy and sell assets without parental consent. However, which laws to revise remains to be discussed...more...
