70% oppose lowering Japan's adult age to 18: gov't poll

Sunday 14th September, 06:29 AM JST

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Crustacean at 04:00 PM JST - 14th September

In respond to lipscombe…

“hahahahahaha this made me laugh. a large percentage of Japanese are still living with mum and dad well into their 30s and 40s”

Why is that so funny? You should know that Japanese and Western society have different way of taking care their parents. I wouldn’t say who is right or wrong… It’s just different and you cannot even compare them since Japanese culture is totally different from the West. First son in most Japanese family tend to stay with their parent and look after them when they are old. And in Western country their parent is being chucked into some institute and they will see them once a month if they are lucky. Its not even breaking news anymore in most Western country when it comes to old dude were found dead alone in the house for weeks or even some for months.. There is always negative comment you can give if you look at things so negatively.
lipscombe at 04:16 PM JST - 14th September

There is a large percentage who stay at their parents home NOT to look after their parents but because they dont have a job and are not mature enough to live alone. its a fact. and I didnt even suggest whether i though it was right or wrong or compare it in any way to 'western culture' you came to that conclusion all by yourself.
Crustacean at 04:19 PM JST - 14th September

What’s with this raise to 30 and 40 bull &^&? Those comments only told me that whoever wrote them are probably in their 15 or 16…. Cause if they were adult, they won’t make such a shallow comment! As if dude in West are so matured lol.
lipscombe at 05:02 PM JST - 14th September

in reply to crustacean, dude I said I know more about this based on firstly your comments which led me to believe you know little other than defensive Japan vs West blah blah. Also on my experience of living in Japan for a decade and having known literally dozens and dozens of people who are in their late 30s and live with their parents, many of whom dont work and have no intention of finding a job, marrying or moving out. my post said nothing about taking care of parents. I was referring to the immaturity that is rife amongst certain age groups in Japan, as several other posters have also noted. like I said, I didnt compare anything. you did. and if you thought my post was negative, well maybe you were right. some things in the world are bad eh , dude
Alphaape at 06:03 PM JST - 14th September

lipscombe, good points you presented. It seems to me that the "immature" ones are the ones who can't reason well on what is posted.

crustacean, I lived in Hawaii for many years, and there, you had the similar cases of children still living with their parents. Some were still at home as a result of various situations (divorce, job loss) but on the whole, many people just tend to live with their familes in Hawaii. The differnce I saw was the unlike in Japan, if you still lived at home, you at least went out and worked. I knew many professionals who still lived in the same home they grew up in.

Also, in America, we have the rising issue of baby boomers moving back into their old homes with their parents. Some as I stated are the results of life changes, but there are a few who have never really left home, and never grew up.

In my 8 years here in Japan, I have seen more cases of adults living at home and not working, or were working and just quit to live at home than I have seen in America.

So, as a person who has come from a nation where it is the norm for people who can't wait to get to age 18 to either, move out the house to go to school or start work, or where some parents will tell their kids (as mine did) after 18 your on your own if you decide not to go to college, one would get the impression that many in Japan would seem immature than compared to what they have done.
Sarge at 06:17 PM JST - 14th September

"They need to raise it to about 55 or 60"

Har!
presto345 at 07:08 PM JST - 14th September

Lowering the age is a good idea. Dependency on parents/families economically has nothing to do with it. Young people becoming aware of and fulfilling their responsibilities, like in voting, at a younger age might actually serve as a cure for immature behavior of young people. Give them responsibility and make sure to rub it in. Hold them accountable for their actions. It's likely to be more effective at 18 than at over 20. The legal age for drinking and smoking is too low anyway and massively ignored, so this problem can be settled at the same time.
cwhite at 07:51 PM JST - 14th September

age of anything doesn't mean much, you can always bend the laws to include 14year olds who go on a murder spree to be trialled as an adult. You can ride a scooter (moped) at 16, drink and gamble on international waters. How about countries that count age differently like Korea (i.e you are 1 year old the day you are born).

What I'm more interested in is the legal age of retirement...
Philosophy187 at 08:02 PM JST - 14th September

I think this is a chauvinistic plot by the someone in the Japanese government to increase the chances of being a pedophile. Oh and its also good for players! I would really like to see how it turns out - who knows may be I too will become a base ball fan in relation to ... 70% oppose lowering Japan's adult age to 18: gov't poll of course.
Orangeporange at 11:16 PM JST - 14th September

If the edcuation system was set up better, Japanese would be emotionally and intellectually intelligent enough to be adults by 18. But by the standards that are in place in most educational systems where a high school student can"t even take part time job, have a proper social life or have any independence whatsoever even outside of school (and then must spend every minute of their freetime preparing for college or University), most kids are hardly emotionally or intellectually intelligent enough to be adults by age 25! At least the "educated" ones anyway!

It seems to me that high school starts at college here, where kids finally get a little bit of freedom to make their own choices, but even then, many of them still act like 14 year olds!
pointofview at 12:02 AM JST - 15th September

Well... if they are gonna be handed cash or bought things whenever they stomp their feet they`ll never be responsible and mature until later on anyway. I think the way the education system is designed maintains this way of life and thinking. Until people finish university, most of the time their expenses are covered by parents/family. They are just enjoying the free ride. I see 8 years old kids telling their parents what to do for godsake. Just culture folks.
helloklitty at 06:39 AM JST - 15th September

Raising it to 40 is funny because he's saying they are still dependents/parasites. Ha!

Just imagine this debate in the age of the caveman. "It's too dangerous for a 15-year-old to handle a spear so ..."

Let's get that stupid age-of-consent law down to 15.
lunartemis78 at 05:10 PM JST - 15th September

REPLY TO Orangeporange: I completely agree with what you said about 'not having any time to do.. anything but to study' Teachers at school are supposed to teach social skills as well as curriculum contents, but how are they meant to 'learn' about looking after your finance, having relationship, coping with social issues when all they have time for is 'to get good results' without knowing what they want to do in the future.

If they start this 'lowering the age' practise, it would be a norm in 2050 since it take a whole generation to be used to it...
Dragone at 08:01 PM JST - 16th September

What is it that the goverment trying to get from 18 years old people? At what age a young man (lady) has an own opinion in politic movements? As for me i started to care when i got a job when i was 23. Earlier a had other problems, like college, social relations... As for me... i can see how the mass media is working in Europe and US.. and Russia. It took a mounth for then to decide what was the agressor in Russia - Georgia conflict. In US its like, we are clearing the situation and will found out soon. I think is a bad idea to lover it to 18.
barttt at 09:08 PM JST - 19th September

most people become mature around 30. So the lower ages are bull... Let everyone vote and do stuff from 16 onwards. At what age are people in japan eligable to ran for prime minister? Whatever the age - it is the true emasure of what age the japanese know to be 'maturity', the other ages like 18, 20, or whatever are just fake issues hiding real ones