While many of you non-U.S. countries will scoff at the idea that it`s hard to get alcohol for minors, Americans will know how hard it is to get away with something like this. Many U.S. stores and restaurants have a “if they look under 35, card them” policy. Still others have a “always card, regardless of age” rule. The cigarettes are the same. Although I say it is probably easier to bring them here to America, even if you are not 18 years old, it is still quite difficult in most parts of the country. Of the 190 countries, 61% have an alcohol consumption age of 18 or 19. The United States and 11 other countries have an MLDA of 21, the highest MLDA of any country where it is legal to drink (although some parts of India have drinking ages of 25 and 30).
Alcohol is banned in 16 countries, all Muslim, although some have exceptions for non-Muslims. The most well-known reason for the law behind the legal drinking age is the effect on the brain in teenagers. As the brain is still maturing, alcohol can have a negative effect on memory and long-term thinking. In addition, it can cause liver failure and cause hormonal imbalance in adolescents due to the constant changes and maturation of hormones during puberty. [3] Youth are also particularly at risk of injury when drinking alcohol,[4] as they may not have the necessary knowledge about low-risk drinking. In fact, public health researchers found that people`s age to drink the first full serving of alcohol was significantly related to knowledge of low-risk alcohol consumption and beverage counting. Knowledge about low-risk alcohol consumption and frequency of beverage counting increased more sharply with age at first drinking in adolescence than at the end of the period. [5] It is prohibited to sell alcoholic beverages to persons under 18 years of age. It is also forbidden for minors to buy and consume alcohol.
[9] The revision of the Japanese Civil Code does not apply to alcohol and cigarettes. Young people are legally allowed to buy tobacco from the age of 20, and this law will remain in force after 2022. In convenience stores, suspicious teens may even be asked to identify themselves on a touchscreen when making a purchase or confirm their age. Some cigarette vending machines require a Taspo card, which is specifically designed to prevent minors from smoking. Especially for people who come from countries where drinking and smoking begins at the age of 18, the age restrictions in Japan for buying and consuming alcohol as well as the smoking age in Japan can be surprising: they must be 20 years old and in possession of a valid ID (for foreigners, a residence permit is sufficient). If you want to buy alcohol, present it, much like you would in your own country, pay and leave with the libations of your choice. In Japan, as in other countries, you can be arrested if you are deemed too young – a flattering situation for some and an obstacle for others! In Japan, you can legally get a driver`s license at the age of 18. Each schedule to get their driver`s license is different, but it`s not uncommon for high school students to start attending driving school at the age of seventeen and get their driver`s license at the age of 18 at the earliest. The legal driving age in Japan is 18.
Many countries, such as the United States, Canada, and Australia, allow driving from the age of 16, so the legal driving age in Japan could be considered relatively late. Even if you have an International Driving Permit, you cannot drive in Japan if you are under 18 years of age. Just like alcohol, smoking in Japan is really easy. Tobacco vending machines are much more common than alcohol vending machines. If you don`t have a vending machine, merchants and convenience stores sell cigarettes to almost everyone. If you want them, you can have them, and with the number of people still smoking, there`s just not that pressure not to smoke, so kids start early. In Japan, the legal age for adults is 20. Japanese law prohibits people under the age of 20 from drinking alcohol or smoking. Regardless of your age, you should not force anyone to drink or smoke, as this can have serious health and social consequences. It is a criminal offence to consume alcohol in public or to influence alcohol. [113] This change means that 18- and 19-year-olds can enter into contracts such as mobile phones, credit cards and apartments without parental consent.
It also ends parents` legal responsibility to retain custody, care for and educate their children, according to the ministry`s brochure. In the Edo period, girls as young as 13 and boys as young as 15 were considered adults, but during the Meiji period in 1876, the legal age was officially raised to 20 for both sexes. In 2015, the Japanese government`s diet decided to lower adulthood to 18; However, this law will not come into force until 2022. If a shop or bar does not need an ID card and turns out to have sold alcohol to minors, a fine will be imposed. An identity card issued at the local town hall can be used as age verification. [161] However, this card is rarely used as a passport or the driver`s licence is more commonly used. [162] In a private matter, offering alcohol to a minor is considered a criminal offence if it leads to intoxication and the act can be considered reprehensible as a whole, having regard to the minor`s age, maturity and other circumstances. [165] However, aside from underage alcohol laws, there are no particularly strict restrictions on alcohol in Japan, and you can find it in convenience stores and supermarkets. You can also buy alcohol not only in bars and izakaya (Japanese-style pubs), but even in restaurant chains and fast food outlets. While they`re no longer common in big cities like Tokyo and Osaka, in some areas you can even buy alcohol from vending machines.
In other words, since you can essentially get your hands on alcohol anytime and anywhere, regulation in Japan may seem a bit loose to some. The rules of where you can drink alcohol are also quite relaxed. Whether in front of a supermarket or restaurant, in a public park, in train stations or even on a bullet train, you can usually drink anywhere outside or in public places. Keep in mind that drinking in some places, such as on trains in Japan, is considered rude. Many visitors to Japan will see drunk office workers dozing off in train stations, on a train and even on the street. It is technically legal for minors to possess and consume alcohol at home and in public (not on authorized premises), as there is no law prohibiting it. It is also technically legal for someone to buy alcohol and give it to minors outside the store or licensed establishments. [104] But drinking can also help you relax.
With the intensity of the Japanese school system, it`s (almost) hard to blame someone who wants to calm down and relax. Alcohol is one way people do it, and while it`s a bad excuse, I almost want to compare teen alcohol use in Japan to teen smoking in America. Marijuana is very hard to find in Japan (and the penalty is high). Neither is technically correct, although many would argue otherwise, I think. Alcohol is very easy to obtain compared to marijuana, and there is no penalty for violating alcohol law, just like marijuana and children in America. If a child wants to let go and escape the test hell for a few hours, they will do it this way (this and karaoke). Japanese laws affect foreign visitors on a large scale. For example, foreigners must have their original passport with them – not a copy. Japanese laws, rules, and regulations may differ from those in your country, so you may be doing something illegal without knowing it. To avoid this, let`s look at eight essential laws in Japan that you should know before your visit! In Japan, a law called the Minor Drinking Prohibition Act prohibits people under the age of 20 from drinking or buying alcohol.