Politics for 18 and 19 Agers

Revised Public Officers Election Act was activated on Saturday. The law for the first time allowed the people in the age of 18 or 19 voting in elections. Japanese government recognized their ability to make right decision in politics at last. Young people are hopeful in expecting better policies for their generation. Politicians have to take better care of those 2.4 millions of new voters.

It was the first time for election age to be changed since it was lowered from 25 to 20 in 1945. 18 and 19 agers are possible to vote for electing lawmakers in both Houses of Representatives and Councillors, governor, mayor, member of local congress or local committee members for agriculture, fishery or forestry. They can also vote for national referendum for the Judges of Supreme Court or recall for governor, mayor or member of local congress.

The first chance in national election will be the coming election of House of Councillors on July 10^th. The people in the age of 18 or higher on July 11^th will be able to vote. In the discussion between new voters and party leaders in Osaka, a college student asked whether voices of young voters would be ignored, because politicians would tend to put priority on old people more conscious on politics. Although party leaders told they would be careful for young people, young agers felt a sense of dishonesty on their explanation.

Parties are crazy about drawing attention of young voters. Liberal Democratic Party appointed its local congress members to “officers for student division” and dispatched them to colleges and high schools. A cartoon of 18-year-old main character appeared on LDP webpage. Democratic Party held a meeting called “Democratic Party High School,” in which young DP lawmakers discuss with young female fashion models, who has a million followers in Twitter. While Komeito included subsidy for infertility treatment in their campaign platform after sucking young voices up, Japan Communist Party distributed flyers to restaurants around colleges, which promised halving college tuition in ten years or legislating Black Company Regulation Act to regulate exploitation on workers.

Rending young agers more rights and responsibilities is still on its way. Although 18 and 19 agers are able to join political activity or election campaign after school, they will not be punished in the same way as the 20-year-old or higher, even how an illegal activity they would make. They are still protected as not yet of age. Civil Code of Japan still determines that age of adult is 20.

That is a result of compromises of the parties. Conservative LDP wanted to lower the voting age, because national referendum for constitutional amendment allows 18 and 19 agers voting. If they were not eligible for ordinary election, the law for constitutional amendment can be losing its legitimacy. Opposite parties were simply wanted new voters, knowing that contradiction of making two kinds of voters. It is not young voters but Japanese democracy that is not matured.