Japan lowers voting age from 20 to 18

Japan has lowered the voting age in the country from 20 to 18 years. The upper house of the Parliament passed the revised public office election law on Wednesday after it was approved by the lower house on June 4, Xinhua news agency reported. The revised law will be effective within one year.

Around 2.4 million people aged 18 and 19 will become eligible to vote. According to analysts, lowering the voting age is necessary to raise the young generation’s involvement in politics and help them express their political views. Japan last lowered the voting age from 25 to 20 years in 1945.