Japan should lower the
age of adulthood to 18.
「日本は，法的な成人年齢を18歳に引き下げるべきである。」
（第３回埼玉いなほカップ・第３回全国高校生英語ディベート大会論題）(2008)
Affirmative Constructive Speech 1 （ → No.2 ）
We, the Saitama Debate
Girls affirmative side strongly believe that Japan should lower the age of adulthood to 18. First, let me tell you our PLAN.
1. People who are 18 should have the right to vote. The high school students should learn more about local and national problems.
2. The juvenile law should exclude people aged 18 and 19, and the high school students should have lectures given by the staff from reformatories or 少年院.
3 People who are 18 or over should have the right to contract and marry without parents’ approval.
Advantage 1 (メリット1):
The voting rate among
young people will increase, more young people will get interested in politics, and democracy will be promoted.
a) Present Situation(現状分析（現状に問題がある、現状ではメリットは得られない）):
In Japan, young people
are not interested in politics. The voting rate has been decreasing, especially among people in their 20s. It is lower than 30%. It's time the Japanese government took action.
b) Effect(Plan→AD（プランからメリットまでの発生過程）):
If our plan is adopted,
high school students will study politics harder. According to NHK News, one city in the Tohoku area lowered the voting age to 18-years-old, educated them, and their voting rate rose to about 80 %
for a municipal ordinance or 条例. We should do the same.
c) Importance（メリットの重要性、深刻性）: According to a UNICEF report, about 80%
in the world consider 18-year-olds adults. UNICEF believes that politics should represent young people more.
Advantage 2 (メリット2):
The crime rate of young
people will decrease and Japan will be a much safer country.
a) Present Situation(現状分析（現状に問題がある、現状ではメリットは得られない）):
According to the Daily Yomiuri, the crime rate of adults has been declining in Japan. However, the crime rate of people under 20 has been increasing. Also, the rate of second offenders or再犯率 among young in Japan is 68%. At present only 20% of young people who committed a murder have been imprisoned. The others have been sent to reformatories and have been released after about only one year.
b) Effect(Plan→AD（プランからメリットまでの発生過程）):
The lectures given by
the staff from reformatories will introduce the actual criminal cases of young people and talk about how their lives have been destroyed, which will work to prevent crime. According to an NHK TV
program, in Norway the rate of young people's crime has been declining since they began these lectures. So our plan will work.
c) Importance（メリットの重要性、深刻性）:
Mr. Kawakami, a famous journalist says in the TV program called バンキシャ, severely punishing young people will discourage them from committing crimes. Japan will be a much safer country. According to a Yomiuri Shinbun survey, 76 % of the respondents agree with lowering the applied age of the juvenile law from 20 to 18. So evidently, the juvenile law should exclude18 and 19 year olds. Therefore we have come to the conclusion that Japan should lower the age of adulthood to 18. Thank you for listening.
Negative
Constructive Speech 1
We of the Saitama Debate Boys negative side canNOT believe that Japan should lower the age of adulthood to 18 because the affirmative plan will generate the following serious
disadvantages.
Disadvantage
1 (デメリット1): The plan damages fairness in
politics.
(a) Present Situation(現状分析(現状に問題はない、現状ではデメリットは生じない):
It is people aged 20 or over who have the right to vote now. The majority of them fulfill their social obligations such as labor, paying taxes or pension premiums. However,
(b) Effect(Plan→DＡ（プランからデメリットまでの発生過程）) :
The plan will allow even people under 20 to vote in the elections, although almost all of the 18 year olds in Japan are high school kids and more than 70 percent of 19 year olds are college or
vocational school students. They are totally dependent on their parents and are NOT AT ALL fulfilling social responsibilities.
(c) Importance（デメリットの重要性、深刻性）:
If we give them the same right as adults, it’s quite unfair to people aged 20 or over. Fairness is the most important in politics. We must preserve it by all means. If their plan is adopted,
politics have to change according to the opinions of socially irresponsible kids under 20. In addition, the adults must feel LESS obliged to labor and pay taxes.
Disadvantage
2 (デメリット2): Young people will be
deceived.
(a) Present Situation(現状分析(現状に問題はない、現状ではデメリットは生じない):
Now people under 20 cannot contract without a parent’s approval. Children cannot spend a lot of money on goods or services without asking their parents and the wise parents disapprove of their
children paying for suspicious contracts. However,
(b) Effect(Plan→DＡ（プランからデメリットまでの発生過程）) :
If companies are allowed to contract with under 20s, they are sure to be the easiest target of evil companies. Due to their lack of experience and knowledge, they easily fall victims of fraud.
After all,
(c) Importance（デメリットの重要性、深刻性）:
Many 18 or 19 year olds, and their parents will be deprived of a lot of money for nothing. Japan Times said yesterday, “World Ocean Farm, the shrimp farm in the Philippines, is suspected of
soliciting ¥84.9 billion from 35,000 people in Japan by promising their investments would double in one year.” The Metropolitan Police Department said, “There were 18,000 so-called “bank transfer
fraud” cases like “ore ore fraud”, or “it’s me, send money fraud” in 2006 and the total amount of damage was 25,000,000,000 yen.” Therefore, we should not lower the
age of adulthood to 18.
Parliamentary Style
Prime
Minister
Thank you, Mr. speaker, and good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Today, we have the motion that "This house will lower the age of majority to 18." We define the age of majority as the age from
which people can vote, contract or marry without parents' permission, and are no longer protected by Juvenile Law. In this debate, we propose that Japan lower the age of majority to 18.
Our team stance is this: Japanese society is aging with fewer children. Burdens on young people are getting heavier and heavier. It is quite fair to give adults' rights to the younger generation. In addition, recognized as adults, young people will be more aware of their social responsibility.
We on the government side have 3 points today. The first point is "increasing fairness," the second point is "role of government," and the third point is "responsibility of young people." As for the third point, my honorable partner will explain later.
Moving to the first point about "increasing fairness." Because Japan is rapidly aging, burdens on young people such as taxes and pension premiums are getting heavier and heavier. However, people under 20 years old have no means to reflect their ideas on national policies because they cannot vote in the election. Besides, the proportion of young people to elderly people among voters is getting smaller and smaller because of the aging society. The influence of young people on politics is unfairly limited in the election. Why not give younger people the right to participate in policy making and increase fairness?
Moving on to the second point about "role of government." The government must serve its people of every generation equally. If younger people in Japan can express their opinions in the election, politicians have to think of better policies for them. As a result, the government can fulfill a better-balanced role for people of every generation.
Then, let me summarize my speech. First, I told you about "increasing fairness." It's unfair to limit young people's rights because their burdens are drastically increasing. Secondly, I told you about "role of government." If young people have the right to vote in the election, politicians cannot ignore their influence and they will fulfill a better role as a government. For all these reasons, I propose that the age of majority be lowered. Thank you.
Leader of the Opposition
Thank you, Mr. Speaker,
and good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. We on the opposition side strongly believe that lowering the age of majority to 18 would be a burden on both society and young people. This is the clear
stance from the opposition.
Firstly, let us address what the Prime Minister has said. Their first point is that it is unfair that young people are unable to vote. It is suggested that by raising the age of majority,
government will have to think more about young people, and that young people in general will develop a greater sense of responsibility. However, this is not unfair at all because they don’t have
much social responsibility. I’d like to expand upon this idea later in our points. As to the point of the role of government, the government already has the role of serving all people equally
regardless of age, and changing the age of majority would not influence that responsibility on the part of the government.
As Leader of the Opposition, I will first discuss “unfair responsibility,” secondly “maturity,” and my partner will talk about the point of “changes in legislation.” As for the third point, my
honorable colleague will speak on this later.
On the first point of “unfair responsibility,” lowering the age of majority to 18 would give younger people a greater voice in policy making, but the majority of legal and tax responsibility
would still fall on older citizens who occupy positions of greater weight in business, administration, and law enforcement. To lower the age of majority to 18 would give younger people a larger
part in policies without having the social and economic power responsible for them.
On the point of “maturity,” the law holds those below the age of majority under juvenile law in order to protect young people from their own inexperience and from the actions of others. Lowering
the age of majority would hold many young people responsible as legal adults in areas where they lack the experience and maturity to act wisely.
To summarize, I have explained first our point of “unfair responsibility.” It is unfair to give younger people a greater say in policy when they would not shoulder the responsibilities. Secondly,
I discussed the point of “maturity.” Younger people are generally regarded as having too little experience and perspective to decide social policy. For these reasons, we of the opposition propose
that the age of majority not be lowered. Thank you.
Affirmative Constructive
Speech2 （ → No.1 ）
We, the affirmative side strongly believe that Japan should
lower the age of adulthood to 18. First, let me tell you our PLAN.
1. People who are 18 should have the right to vote. The high school students should learn more about local and national problems.
2. The juvenile law should exclude people aged 18 and 19.
3. People who are 18 or over should have the right to sign a contract so they can use a credit card. When they sign up for a credit card, a notice would be sent to their parents so they can help their children use it responsibly. The limit of one-time installment money should be within 100,000 yen.
4. People who are 18 or over can marry without parents’ approval.
Advantage 1 (メリット1): The voting rate among young people will increase, and democracy will be promoted.
a) Present Situation(現状分析（現状に問題がある、現状ではメリットは得られない）):
In Japan, young people are not interested in politics. The voting rate has been decreasing, especially among people in their 20s. It is lower than 30%.
b) Effect(Plan→AD（プランからメリットまでの発生過程）):
If our plan is adopted, high school students will study politics harder. According to NHK News, one city in the Tohoku area lowered the voting age to 18-years-old, educated them, and their voting rate rose to about 80 % for a municipal ordinance or 条例.We should do the same.
c) Importance（メリットの重要性、深刻性）:
According to a UNICEF report, about 80% in the world consider 18-year-olds adults. UNICEF believes that politics should represent young people more.
Advantage 2 (メリット2):Japan's economy will improve.
a) Present Situation(現状分析（現状に問題がある、現状ではメリットは得られない）):
People who are 18 or 19 years old can not make their own credit cards. So, they would not
be able to make the necessary installments or 分割払い. This will prevent young people
from buying expensive
things.
b) Effect(Plan→AD（プランからメリットまでの発生過程）):
If our plan is adopted, young people will be able to buy things they need by saving money.
Then young people will become more powerful consumers. According to the Daily Yomiuri,
people in their thirties and older tend not to buy many things because the prices of things
including gasoline got higher. However, young people in their twenties tend to buy many things
such as cell phones, DVDs and clothes. So, if our plan is adopted, people aged 18 and 19 will
get credit cards and buy many things actively. Also, companies will develop more new items
for young people.
c) Importance（メリットの重要性、深刻性）:
According to the NHK program called “時論・公論”, “If Japanese people spend five percents
of their saving buying things, Japan’s GDP will rise by 1 percent and Japan’s economy will
improve. People are afraid of spending money and try to save for the future. This will make
Japan’s economy worse. So, companies should make new attractive products and then
people should buy more things. Like this, companies will be able to make new items, and the
18 and 19 years olds will buy things. This is very important for Japan’s economy.Thank you
for listening.
Negative Constructive Speech
2
We, the negative
side do NOT believe that Japan should lower the age of adulthood to 18. Let me tell you disadvantages which will happen after adopting their plan.
Disadvantage 1 (デメリット1):Young people will lose chances to rehabilitate after committing a crime.
(a) Present Situation(現状分析(現状に問題はない、現状ではデメリットは生じない):
At present, if young people commit a crime, they spend a year or so in a reformatory or 少年院 under the juvenile law and get special education and can go back to the society, however,
(b) Effect(Plan→DＡ（プランからデメリットまでの発生過程）) :
If the affirmative plan is adopted, some young people who commit a crime have to spend many years in a prison under the criminal law. This will prevent young people from getting rehabilitated and going back to the society as good citizens. According to the NHK program, クローズアップ現代, the number of criminals has been increasing and all the prisons in Japan are very crowded and its percentage of accommodation is 120 % of the capacity. As a result, prisoners cannot have good rehabilitating programs and the prisoners just spend their prison terms in vain. Because of this, the rate of second offenders, or 再犯率 is very high like 68 percent. So, it’s a terrible situation. On the contrary, reformatories provide young criminals with very good education like counseling and psychological training so that they can get rehabilitated.
(c) Importance（デメリットの重要性、深刻性）:
In order to have a better society, it is very important for young criminals to get rehabilitated and get back to the society as good citizens. In this sense, the affirmative idea is quite wrong.
Disadvantage 2 (デメリット2): Young people will have a financial difficulty.
(a) Present Situation(現状分析(現状に問題はない、現状ではデメリットは生じない):
Now people under 20 cannot borrow money. Even though they wan to buy expensive things, they cannot borrow money from loan companies. However,
(b) Effect(Plan→DＡ（プランからデメリットまでの発生過程）) :
If companies are allowed to have a contract with people aged 18 and 19, young people are sure to be the easiest target of evil companies like what we call “サラリーマン金融”. According to the Watchdogs for Consumers, one of the NPO to protect consumers’ rights, more and more young people in their twenties have become victims of loan companies which have illegal interest rates on the loan money. For example, one young man loaned 80,000 yen but he had to return one million yen because of the high interest given to the original loan money. He had financial difficulties and caused big troubles to his family members.
(c) Importance（デメリットの重要性、深刻性）:
If more young people fall victim to what we call, loan sharks and they will lose all their money. Sometimes their family members will be involved in it and they might lose their house, assets and everything. This will be a serious problem.
Therefore, we should not lower the age of adulthood to 18.
Thank you for listening.