A lawmaker in Japan was laughed at after highlighting how the new legal age of adulthood could lead to the exploitation of teenagers.aimed at protecting 18- and 19-year-olds from recruitment into the adult video industry during a session of the Japanese parliament.
The change, which took effect April 1, eliminated the requirement for parental consent for 18- and 19-year-olds to enter into contractual agreements. They can now also be tried as adults in criminal court. The legal age for drinking, smoking and gambling, however, remains 20. Prior to the age amendment, parents were able to intervene on behalf of teens who were coerced into joining a film or who willingly joined but eventually changed their minds. Shiomura raised the idea in Parliament of allowing 18- and 19-year-olds to void their employment contracts for adult films.