It's quite easy actually. I once met a woman in a night club who turned out to be only 15. It was an over 18 club, and she told me she was 19. I was carded at the club each time I went in, so I assumed she was telling me the truth. Several weeks passed before I finally found out her real age.

Young girls marrying older men dates less than a couple of centuries ago. It was customary for girls, even as young as 12 and 13 to be married to a middle aged man, as he would be experienced enough to take care of her and have a steady income.

Key word there.

Amazing what 200+ years will do to a given culture.

Does that still seem like a good idea to you today?

Whoa whoa guys, I was stating a fact. Did it look like I was trying to make a point? I was just correcting your facts, that's all.

Of course it looked like you were trying to make a point.

I'm just nitpicking as I agree with your sentiment... I mean boundaries have to be set to protect minors in my opinion also.

However in some countries the age of consent is 16 (like here in New Zealand) so I don't think 18 is some magic number nor do I believe 16 year olds are completely unable to make an informed decision on sex.

In saying that though the boundary Japanese society has set is 18 and as a guest to Japan the OP would do well to respect that boundary.

The law is only a part of what I was trying to say.

People can say "age is just a number" but if 16-year-olds are ready for sex, does that mean so are 14-year-olds? 12-year-olds? Do I need to keep going lower?

We KNOW that 16-year-olds are not fully mature individuals, physically and mentally. Research shows the completion of puberty at somewhere between 18 and 21 for the most part.

I will ask again. If you are over the age of 22, tell me honestly if you are still with the girl or boy you "loved" when you were 16. My educated guess would tell me that almost none of those relationships stood the test of time. Why? Because bodies are still changing. The brain is still growing. Hormones are flaring...the whole classic speech.

You can't really go to much lower than 16 in my opinion (I think the lowest I heard about was in Denmark where it's apparently 15).

I hear what you're saying but there is another side to why we have the law at the age it is.

The idea is that while a boundary is needed to protect young girls from predatory men... one is also needed to protect full grown men from "hormone flaring" young girls.

A 16 year old actively seeking sex can appear fully developed and lie about her age to get what she wants.

Very few 14 year olds appear fully developed.

As for my 16 year old love life... Hehe... I dated a girl who I thought I was in love with sure.. but I dated women when I was 19, 24, and 26 who I thought I was in love with too.

Why are my 16 year old feelings not valid yet my 19, 24 and 26 year old ones are?

You are totally correct here. Though with make-up and nice clothes and almost any girl can look 18. The laws are there to protect teens from themselves, too...