With the voting age lowered to 18 from 20, an estimated 2.4 million people, including high school students, will be allowed to vote for the first time in next summer's Upper House election.
But as political apathy among youth runs strong, lobbyists, educators and officials are deliberating how politics should be taught in schools, which have tended to shy away from debating current political issues due to a government notice that effectively quells debate on such matters.
Although the change in the voting system will take effect immediately, that doesn't mean the public mindset will change right away, said Ryohei Takahashi, a 39-year-old director at the nonprofit organization Rights, which encourages youngsters to get involved in the political process.