Official Age of Adulthood in Japan Lowered to 18 from 20

How old do you have to be to be regarded as an adult in your country?
From April, people aged 18 and 19 in Japan will legally be classed as adults.
At the very moment when 17-year-old boys and girls turn 18, they are no longer minors.

Rights at 18
・Entering into a contract without parental consent
（Purchasing a cellphone, signing up for credit cards, taking out a loan and so on）
・Obtaining a passport with 10 years of validity
・Marrying without a guardian’s consent

Rights from Age 20 as previously
・Drinking alcohol
・Smoking
・Public gambling（horse racing, bicycle racing, boat racing）
・Adopting children
・Enrolling in the National Pension Plan

This change makes it possible for them to do a lot of things without permission, but also means that they need to take responsibility for each action. Japanese government also announces that they must be careful not to get scammed.