Japan lowers legal age of adulthood

According to the bill, people from 18 years of age will be able to get married without parental consent. Though they are technically adults, 18-year-olds in Japan will remain banned from drinking alcohol, smoking, gambling and adopting children.

The move comes as the Japanese government continues to grapple with the nation's demographic crisis as the population here continues to rapidly age and simultaneously shrink. The country's total fertility rate fell to 1.43 last year, much lower than the rate of 2.07 necessary for Japan to maintain its population.