Why the current age at which candidates can run is a problem

We are seeking a lowering of the age at which people can run for office (the right to be elected) through legal proceedings. Currently, the age at which people can run for office (the right to be elected) in Japan remains unchanged since the end of the war, at 25 and 30 years old.

More than 70 years have passed since the end of the war, and society has changed dramatically. In 2016, the Public Offices Election Act was revised to allow people to vote from the age of 18, but the age at which people can run for office has not been changed, continuing to restrict young people's direct political participation. What is even more pointable is that no one can explain the rational reason why the age at which people can run for office should be set at 25 or 30.

Currently, most of the representatives of the electorate in parliament are middle-aged or older. Their average age is nearly 60, far below the average age of the general public, and important matters affecting everyone living in Japan are decided by a select group of people.

People in their 40s are considered young politicians, and it is taken for granted that there is a generational gap between them and those in their 20s and 30s. The voices of young people, as the people directly involved, are evaporating without being heard in the political arena. This is a serious problem that also contributes to young people's apathy towards politics. While young people's apathy towards politics and low voter turnout are seen as major issues, I believe that this political system also has its problems.

In an age where many people choose their first career upon graduation at age 18 or 22, however, the profession of "politician" cannot be chosen at that time. If one were to run for office under the current age of candidacy set by the Public Offices Election Act, by age 25 they would have been working for several years, and by age 30 they would have been married, had a child, and would be raising young children. Even if one reaches the legal age to run for office in these fluid life stages, it is not easy to interrupt or abandon one's career and immediately run for office unless one has a solid foundation that allows them to return to it if they are defeated. If the age of candidacy were lowered and one could choose politics as one's first career, it would be possible to make this decision with less risk.

Japan's candidate age is too high compared to other countries

Globally, only a minority of OECD countries have set the candidacy age at 25 or older. Of the 38 countries, 23 set the candidacy age at 18 and 10 at 21, meaning that countries that set the candidacy age at 21 or younger account for approximately 87% of the total.
*Added October 19, 2025: At the time of publication of " Eligible Voting Age in Major Countries (Data) " (2020), compiled by the National Diet Library, there were 36 member countries. Subsequently, Colombia joined in 2020, and Costa Rica in 2021, bringing the total to 38 countries. Additionally, the voting age has been lowered in South Korea (2021), Lithuania (2022), and Mexico (2023). The above reflects this information (as of October 2025). For more information, please see " Eligible Voting Age in Major Countries ."

In fact, these countries did not lower the age for running for office from the beginning. Over the past few decades, they have made successive reforms to their systems to allow young people to run for office.

For example, in the UK, in 2004 the Electoral Commission recommended lowering the age at which people can run for office, citing the following reasons: (1) there are examples internationally of the age at which people can run for office being the same as the voting age; (2) there may be young people under the age of 21 who are interested in elected office and are able to perform the duties of such office satisfactorily; and (3) even without comprehensive restrictions on running for office through the provision of a voting age, voters can decide through elections whether or not a person is suitable for elected office. In response, the legislature lowered the age at which people can run for office from 21 to 18 in a 2006 amendment to the law.

In Germany and France, the age to run for office was lowered in 1974 and 2011 through legislation that made the age to run for office the same as the age of majority or voting age.

Of course, there are no reports of any adverse effects from lowering the age of candidacy in these countries. In fact, in all countries, it has been reported that lowering the age of candidacy has increased interest and commitment in politics among younger generations.

In other words, there is almost no rational reason to continue maintaining the age for running for office at 25 or 30. Those opposed to lowering the age argue that young people lack knowledge, experience, and discretion, but this is a typical example of prejudice. There is no rational basis for uniformly regarding young people as inferior without exception.

Why the trial?

Politicians have been lobbying for a lowering of the age to run for office (the right to run for office). When the age of majority was lowered in 2016, there were calls for a corresponding lowering of the age to run for office. However, seven years later, the age to run for office has yet to be lowered. While many opposition parties have called for a lowering, the ruling party has not made any concrete efforts to put it on the political agenda. Young people aged 18 to 25 constitute a minority in modern Japanese society, accounting for less than 20% of the population. For incumbent politicians, who are overwhelmingly middle-aged or older, many of their direct supporters are the same age as themselves, so there is little benefit to listening to the voices of young people. In fact, lowering the age to run for office could even be seen as a disadvantage for incumbent politicians, as it would increase their rivals. While it is structurally difficult to expect incumbent politicians to take the lead in reforming the law, it is also difficult to expect young people's political participation to become a key election issue in this complex and turbulent society. In other words, legislative solutions are unlikely. Issues like these deserve judicial debate. Armed with evidence and logic, we seek to reform the system through the court process.

The plaintiffs' thoughts

Ryo Kubo (19) / University student
While working on various social issues from a local community perspective, I feel that the lack of diversity among local politicians, in particular, is a serious problem that makes it difficult for young people's voices to be heard and contributes to their apathy towards politics. It was with this in mind that I decided to participate in this activity.

Suzuka Nakamura (21) / University student
Why is there no politics that not only listens to the voices of young people, but also reaches them and changes them? This is what I feel while facing the climate crisis and living in a rural area. I decided to become a plaintiff, not to give up just because "it's Japanese politics" and to ensure that people are not ignored just because "they are young."

Suzuka Nakamura (23) / University student
Even though ability and experience do not correlate with age, current rules limit young people's political participation. In an aging society, we urgently need to create a system that allows the voices of the younger generation to be heard. I believe that it is only natural that we, who will live in the future, have the right to choose.

Momoko Nojo (25) / Representative Director of NO YOUTH NO JAPAN General Incorporated Association / Representative of FIFTYS PROJECT
While studying abroad in Denmark in 2019, she was inspired by a 21-year-old female member of parliament and founded an organization to promote political participation among young people. Rather than trivializing the low voter turnout by blaming young people, she plans and participates in events with the aim of raising awareness that politics without young people is also problematic.

Chico. (23) / Sophies representative
There's been a lot of talk recently about young people losing interest in politics. Adults say, "That's just how young people are these days," but I think it's important to look at the social background that's causing young people to lose interest and create a foundation that will allow young people to stand up for themselves. I hope that Japan's future will not be one in which only a limited number of adults exist, but one in which people from all segments can interact and engage in dialogue, constantly updating themselves.

Kaito Yoshizumi (23) / Representative of Tombo LLC
In this day and age, many people choose their first career after "graduating" at the age of 18 or 22. I feel that the inability to choose politicians at this time is a major flaw in the current electoral system. With this background, I strongly sympathize with this public lawsuit and will be participating as a plaintiff!

Request for donations

Our society is one in which a variety of issues, including education, advanced technology, employment, welfare, mental health, environmental issues, security, gender, and diversity, are intricately intertwined, and it is necessary for it to be updated through dialogue and interaction between people of all backgrounds, not just a select few adults. Through this movement, we hope that society as a whole will discuss and update the age at which people can run for office, which has remained unchanged since the end of the war.

We would appreciate your support in realizing a politics in which young people, who are members of society, can directly get involved and make changes with their own hands.

Use of funds

• Litigation costs: Actual costs such as stamp duty and copying fees.
• Cost of written opinions from scholars: As this is a specialized field, we plan to have experts such as constitutional law scholars and administrative law scholars write opinions.
• Evidence of overseas knowledge: We are considering holding interviews with overseas experts and current politicians and asking them to submit written opinions. This will require translation costs in addition to the usual remuneration.
• Travel expenses for the legal team, plaintiffs, etc.: The lawsuit will be held in Tokyo. Donations will be used to cover the travel expenses of the plaintiffs and some of the legal team when they travel from the countryside to appear in court in Tokyo, as well as the travel expenses of experts and others when they come to Tokyo.
• Event hosting and public relations costs: We would also like to use donations to cover events and public relations costs related to this trial.
• Legal fees: We would like to use the funds for the legal team's retainer fees, success fees, travel allowances, etc.

About the defense team

Yoshiyasu Toda (Chief) LEDGE Law Office
Michiko Kameishi, Eclat Umeda Law Office, Taiki Taniguchi, Tokyo Public Law Office, Airi Nishi, Shinyu Law Office, Daisuke Igeta, Miyamura & Igeta Law Office

Message from the defense team

These age restrictions were put in place about 70 years ago. During this time, there has been a growing movement both domestically and internationally to respect the right of self-determination of young people, as well as the belief that reflecting diverse opinions contributes to a fulfilling democracy. In response to this trend, Japan also enacted laws to lower the voting age to 18 in 2015 and the age of majority to 18 in 2018. When the voting age and the age of majority were lowered, many people called for the age of candidacy to be lowered as well, but there has been no concrete legislative movement.

The freedom to run for office is a requirement of the principle of popular sovereignty, a fundamental principle of the Constitution, and is a fundamental constitutional human right that must not be taken away without reasonable grounds. We know that there are many young people who are more capable than adults, even if they are not yet 25 or 30 years old. In this trial, we hope to question the validity of the socially accepted notion that young people have less experience and ability than adults, through fair and impartial debate.

About LEDGE

LEDGE is a team of experts formed to support specific public lawsuits. This lawsuit is being supported by LEDGE (some of the lawyers in this lawsuit are members of LEDGE).