nhk world's kaz mee iz ta mee has more. >> reporter: voted unanimously on wednesday to pass the measure. it will apply to local and national elections as well as national reviews of supreme court justices. the first election under the new law is expected to take place next summer when voters will cast ballots in an upper house election. the last major revisions to the election law were in 1945. women got the right to vote and the minimum voting age fell by five years to 20. japan now joins other countries worldwide that allows citizens to begin voting from the age of 18 or younger. japanese lawmakers saw a need to act. the population is aging quickly. that's shifting the burden to younger people to tackle a range of social issues such as the national debt. >> translator: i want to take part in an election. some people may think that their votes will not make a difference but i don't agree. young people's views are important. >> translator: i don't feel a responsibility to vote. i just don't feel my vote will count. >> reporter: past elections indicate younger japanese have not been acti