Gov't to lower the age of majority to 18

[FG Lurker]

Gov't to lower the age of majority to 18 from current 20
Mainichi Daily News, November 2, 2007

Officials have announced that the government is set to lower the age of majority -- the age from which one is legally an adult -- from 20 to 18.

The government will submit bills to revise the Civil Code and other relevant legislation to the Diet during an extraordinary Diet session in the autumn of 2009, or a regular Diet session in 2010, according to the officials.

(Full Story)

If anything I think they should raise the age to about 25! I suppose there are some mature 18yo Japanese out there...somewhere.

[Taro Toporific]

Gov't to lower the age of majority to 18 from current 20
Mainichi Daily News, November 2, 2007.

Oops, the Mainichi failed to mentioned that this bill is co-sponsored by the Toyota and Kirin.

[FG Lurker]

Oops, the Mainichi failed to mentioned that this bill is co-sponsored by the Toyota and Kirin.

Well, the driving age is 18 currently...

I bet JT (and thus the j-govt) is happy though!

[Iraira]

This means that 18 year old J-chicks are street legal? Not that any of them are virgins past 15 (except for the mangy-looking ones) and not that I want to get with a virgin, as they know nothing about oxygen-deprived orgasms, anyway.
I'm heading out to Harajuku to celebrate once this bill becomes law.

[james]

This means that 18 year old J-chicks are street legal?

haven't they always been? (possibly barring conflict of interest situations like teacher-student relations etc). the law they're revising is age of majority, not age of consent, no? i don't know of any country where the a.o.c. is an ancient 20.

[Iraira]

haven't they always been? (possibly barring conflict of interest situations like teacher-student relations etc). the law they're revising is age of majority, not age of consent, no? i don't know of any country where the a.o.c. is an ancient 20.

Running in the other direction: I think it's legal in Georgia (US) to get with your cousin if she's over 13. One of my cousins has quick the rack, so I'm really glad that I'm adopted.

[amdg]

So the next coming-of-age ceremony wil be 3 times as big as usual? Fun fun fun.

Though I can imagine some of the 19 year-olds feeling peeved that their kohais will be joining them at the bar.

[TennoChinko]

This means that 18 year old J-chicks are street legal? Not that any of them are virgins past 15 (except for the mangy-looking ones) and not that I want to get with a virgin, as they know nothing about oxygen-deprived orgasms, anyway.
I'm heading out to Harajuku to celebrate once this bill becomes law.

Currently, if you get accused of raping a Japanese female under the age of 20 (as in the case of the 4 US Marines in Iwakuni did), the fact that she is a minor in the eyes of the law will increase the severity of the crime.

[Iraira]

Currently, if you get accused of raping a Japanese female under the age of 20 (as in the case of the 4 US Marines in Iwakuni did), the fact that she is a minor in the eyes of the law will increase the severity of the crime.

What if I can prove in court that she can deep throat a 25 lb. Foster Farms whole turkey complete with stuffing and and pumpkin pie? That might lessen the sentence. Judges would be wantin' some of that.

[Mulboyne]

Currently, if you get accused of raping a Japanese female under the age of 20 (as in the case of the 4 US Marines in Iwakuni did), the fact that she is a minor in the eyes of the law will increase the severity of the crime.

That's not quite right, partly because the concepts used in UK law and US law don't transfer over to Japan. The age of majority isn't relevant. Here's a summary from Mark D West's book "Secrets, Sex and Spectacle":

The Criminal Code has the age of consent for sex at 13. A man having sex with a girl under 13 is committing statutory rape. Separate from that are Child Welfare laws which are set on a prefecture basis. It is a punishable offence to "cause" an under eighteen year old to commit an obscene act - which is not limited to intercourse. That's a broader definition of rape but the punishments are less severe. Most prefectures also prohibit consensual acts with people under 18 - Tokyo and Nagano only did so two years ago. 1999 saw the introduction of the laws banning child pornography and child prostitution. This law defines child as anyone under 17.

[TennoChinko]

What if I can prove in court that she can deep throat a 25 lb. Foster Farms whole turkey complete with stuffing and and pumpkin pie? That might lessen the sentence. Judges would be wantin' some of that.

What kind of stuffing? And, does that come with fresh whole cranberries?

[Doctor Stop]

That's one way to boost sagging cigarette sales.

[Iraira]

What kind of stuffing? And, does that come with fresh whole cranberries?

Two cranberries...unless I've been swimming in very cold water, in which case, the berries have retracted deep into the netherworld.

[Mulboyne]

[floatr][/floatr]Yomiuri: Age of majority might be lowered
Justice Minister Kunio Hatoyama will bring up the issue of lowering the age of majority in the Civil Code--from the current age of 20 to 18--in the Legislative Council for deliberation on Feb. 13, it has been learned. The council, an advisory body to the minister, is expected to take about a year to submit its findings in relation to lowering the legal age of majority to 18. The move is in line with the National Referendum Law, which, in principle, sets the minimum voting age at 18. The law, passed in May 2007, stipulates procedures for revising the Constitution and will go into effect in 2010. With 191 laws and ordinances, including the Public Offices Election Law, relating to the age of majority, the council's discussions on revising the Civil Code look likely to have a heavy influence on other laws...Lowering the age at which a person is deemed to be an adult could have advantages such as stimulating economic activity among young people and encouraging social independence...more...

[FG Lurker]

http://www.fuckedgaijin.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19109


"Lowering the age at which a person is deemed to be an adult could have advantages such as stimulating economic activity among young people and encouraging social independence"


Sure, when Japanese turn 20 they all move out and become independent households. Maybe they should raise the age to 30.

[Mulboyne]

Thanks FG. Thought I'd seen that news before.