Was just watching a Japanese TV show. They have liquor vending machines.

ON THE STREET!!!

Why was I born roundeye?!

LOL

Up until about five years ago, anyone could buy from them, too. Anyone. Now, you have to swipe your ID card showing you're 20. Yes, 20 is the drinking age here.

Why 20 and not 18 like the rest of the world(excluding US of course)?

One is not legally an adult until one is 20 in Japan.

ooh okay so they are late then. Everywhere else, you are legally an adult at 18.

I guess it's like ancient Rome. The age of majority in those times under Roman law was 20. Influence? From Asia to the Mediterranean, or vice versa. Or just coincidence?

Possibly it could be a hold over from around that time but who knows. I may or may not look into it depending on how bored I am. Probably not right now though. Gotta get ready to head to the gym.

I googled it but didn't find an answer immediately, but I just didn't care enough to dig deeper.


Anyway, today is/was the 4th of July, but all American military bases have cancelled their fireworks and public celebrations because some asshole soldier decided to go and rape a woman in Okinawa a month ago. The Japanese are plenty pissed off, so going ahead with festivities celebrating a country of rapists would be bad form right about now. Wait, what?

So, to celebrate the way I do every year, I forced my university students to sing "Happy Birthday, America".

I love your solution to this! Perfect.

Just have them sing "Deutschland Uber Alles", replacing "Deutschland" with "America".