"18 years old" is recently decided "appropriate" for being an adult

Oita Godo Newspaper (morning edition on May 20, 2009)

The revision of civil law, about reducing the age of legally being an adult from 20 to 18, was discussed by an office under the government's legislation bureau on May 19.

The final announcement was finished that "In case that the age which can hold the right of election has been reduced to 18, the age of being an adult in the civil law should be changed from 20 to 18 likewise, as long as there is no legal abuse considered possible." The office will prepare a final official paper to submit to Japan's legislation bureau in July, this year.

Regarding the vote for supporting or refusing this new law, there are considerably more voices turning to support now comparing to the figure mentioned in the intermediate announcement in December, last year. Therefore, the new law may probably be implemented soon without the real national voting as planned before.

Comment: If the age of legally becoming an adult in Japan is really changed from 20 to 18, it will be the same with Thailand. I do not know actually when Thailand changed this kind of law but it happened before I became 18. So I could participate in the national election once when I was still in my country. :-)

PUNTHUCHAT Siripun

Thailand

APS4, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University