The age of majority in Japan has been 20 since 1876, but a revised Civil Law lowering the age of majority came into force on 1 April 2022. Today, on Coming of Age Day, let’s take a look at the amendments to the Civil Law regarding lowering the age of majority.
Contents of Reduction of the age of majority
Contents
１．the revised Civil LAW on lowering the age of majority
２．What CAN you do when you reach adulthood?
３．When does it apply?
４．Impact of lowering the age of majority
1．Revised Civil LAW on lowering the age of majority
Prior to the amendment of the Civil Law to lower the age of majority, policies have been pursued in recent years to set the voting age for referendums on constitutional amendments and the voting age in the Public Offices Election Law at 18. Based on these policies, a bill was passed to lower the age of majority to 18 under the Civil Law, which is the basic law on civil life, to respect young people’s right to self-determination and encourage their active participation in society.
| ‘Related Article’ Civil Law (Age of Majority) Article 4 The age of majority is 20 years of age. |
2．What can you do when you reach the the age of majority?
Meaning of majority in civil law:
The age of majority in the Civil Law has the following meanings:
- A single person can make a valid contract
- No longer subject to parental authority
Things you can do when you reach the age of majority:
Valid legal acts
A minor needs to obtain the consent of the minor’s legal representative, i.e. parents, to perform legal acts such as contracting. Once they reach the age of majority, they can make various contracts without parental consent.
- Mobile phone contract
- Purchasing expensive items (including purchases with loans)
- Create credit card
- Contract to rent an apartment, etc.
Not subject to the parental authority of the parents
As a result of no longer being subject to the parental authority of their parents, once they reach the age of majority, they are able to decide where they live (place of residence) of their own decision.
| ‘Related Article’ Civil Law (Juridical Acts by Minors) Article 5 (1)A minor must obtain the consent of the minor’s legal representative to perform a juridical act; provided, however, that this does not apply to a juridical act for merely acquiring a right or being released from an obligation. (2)A juridical act in contravention of the provisions of the preceding paragraph is voidable. (3)Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (1), a minor may freely dispose of property that the legal representative has permitted the minor to dispose of for a specified purpose, to an extent that falls within the scope of that purpose. The same applies if the minor disposes of property that the legal representative has permitted the minor to dispose of without specifying a purpose. |
others
Other things you will be able to do:
- Obtain a passport valid for 10 years
- To work in a profession based on a national qualification, e.g. Certified public accountant, Judicial scrivener, etc.
- Receiving an appeal for a change of gender treatment, etc.
As mentioned above, the lowering of the age of majority allows people to do things from the age of 18 that were previously possible at the age of 20.
3．When does it apply?
When does it apply?:
The “Law for Partial Revision of the Civil Law”, which is intended to lower the age of majority to 18, will come into effect from April 1, 2022.
| Born between April 2, 2002 and April 1, 2004 (over 18 years old / under 20 years old as of April 1, 2022) | Reach the age of majority on April 1, 2022 |
| Born on or after April 2, 2004 | Reach the age of majority on their 18th birthday |
Contracts concluded by 18 and 19-year-olds before April 1, 2022 without parental consent can continue to be revoked after the enforcement.
４．Impact of lowering the age of majority
Right to rescind for minors:
If a minor signs a contract without parental consent, it can in principle be rescinded (Article 5 (2) of the Civil Law).
The right to rescind for minors is intended to protect minors, but with the lowering of the age of majority to 18, 18- and 19-year-olds will no longer be able to exercise their right to rescind, which may lead to an increase in consumer damage due to unscrupulous business practices.
In response, the Government is working on various measures to improve the environment, such as enhancing consumer education in primary, middle and high schools (e.g. the importance of contracts, consumer rights and responsibilities, etc.), amending the Consumer Contract Law to remedy consumer damage common among young people and improving consultation services such as consumer hotlines. The Judicial Council is also involved in organising legal education and providing consumer advice.
You can check the detail about Consumer Hotline at Consumer Affairs Agency website.
Child Support:
What would happen if, before the amended Civil Law came into force, it was agreed that child support would be paid until the child reached the age of majority? As the age of majority was 20 at the time the agreement was made, it is considered that even if the age of majority is lowered, the obligation to pay child support until the child reaches the age of 20 will remain the same as before.
As child support is payable when a child is immature and cannot be expected to be financially independent, the obligation to pay child support will not be extinguished if he or she is still financially immature even if he or she has reached the age of majority. For this reason, the lowering of the age of majority does not naturally mean that the period for payment of child support is ‘until the child reaches the age of 18’.
In addition, when making new arrangements regarding child support in the future, it is desirable to clearly set the end of the payment period (eg, “until March after reaching the age of 22”).
What about alcohol and cigarettes?:
Even if the age of majority under the Civil Law is lowered to 18, the age limit of 20 will remain as before for the following matters, from the viewpoint of health hazards and measures against addiction, and 18 and 19-year-olds will not be able to do so
- Drinking alcohol
- Smoking
- Public racing (horses racing, bicycle racing, auto racing, motorboat racing)
Reference website：Civil Law (Age of Adulthood Relations) Amendment Q&A / Ministry of Justice HP
Should you have any inquiry, please contact us.
This article is based on the information available at the time of writing. Please be sure to check the latest laws and regulations.