| Type | Response | Example Prefectures | Impact on 18-19 year olds | |------|----------|---------------------|----------------------------| | | Keep definition of “youth” as under 18. | Tokyo, Osaka, Hokkaido | Remain protected as “youth”; cannot access harmful media. | | B: Raised protection (age <20) | Amend ordinance to define youth as under 20. | Fukuoka, Kyoto, Kanagawa | Treated as youth until 20; effectively reversed the majority reform. | | C: Contextual | Different ages for different protections (e.g., media 18+, venues 20+). | Aichi, Hyogo | Mixed status; requires case-by-case compliance. |
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Yet a fundamental tension emerged: Japan’s 47 prefectures each maintain Seishonen Horei —ordinances designed to protect “youth” ( seishonen ) from sexually explicit materials, harmful entertainment, and late-night environments. Historically, these ordinances defined seishonen as persons under 18. However, many ordinances were drafted when the age of adulthood was 20, creating a comfortable 2-year buffer (18–19) during which young people were neither full adults nor children. After the 2022 reform, 18- and 19-year-olds became legal adults but remained defined as seishonen in most prefectures, creating a unique dual status. japan prefectural youth protection ordinances age 18