Regarding the Aug. 3 editorial "Lowering the legal age": One couldn't be more expedient in discussing the legal age for a nation at this time, with the recession almost behind us and Japan facing declining birthrates. Setting the legal age could very much change the social demography of Japan. This is something that would fillip entrepreneurship and add voices to the country's often staid political system.
It would not be an over-generalization to assume that one's faculties are developed enough to contribute to society at large by the time he or she finishes college. Having the legal age lowered to 18 should thrust young minds into situations where they can show more responsibility and would greatly help them become independent by the time they reach 20. Starting two years earlier in adjusting to life's realities would certainly be worthwhile for Japan's young citizens.