The Japanese Take on Childhood (or Why are JRPG characters kids)

There are many reasons why the western audience seem largely put off by jrpgs.  It ranges from basic gameplay mechanics to the story telling traditions.  The one I'd like to take a closer look at today however is the fact that the cast of jrpgs have had the habit of always being children.  This point was brought up on the massive 2chan message board and quite a few theories are tossed around, ranging from "games are for kids" to "kids are easier to empathize with" to "kids are better looking than old guys."  The usual "better kids than muscle heads" complete the rounds.  Obviously, the range in probability and intelligence within those response is fairly vast.  
 
However, there were two takes on the issue that really drew my attention that I will actually quote in full below.
 
" I don’t know about America, but in Japan you get the most freedom in your life from middle school to university." 
 
" Somebody in the original post said a Japanese person told him “highschool is the best time of your life for a Japanese.” I think this may be it. Japanese seem to think something important is lost when you grow up, like they worship a sort of childhood innocence. As a result JRPG protagonists are mostly youths.
On the other hand, overseas becoming older is more like “levelling up” and getting access to more experience and status. We could even say the western view has a “dream” – life still progresses and improves after childhood." 
 
 For those that are familiar with high school based slice of life anime such as Azumanga Daioh and Lucky Star, you might recall that things like the summer trip, the yearly sports festival, cultural festival, etc, are corner stones of those shows, emphasizing the special moments of one's high school years that may or may not be an actual reality in Japan.  For those that want a more GiantBomb related example, Persona 4 works well enough.  You have your summer trip out of town, going camping, the unforgettable school festival, the hot springs scene with Naoto without a hat in a towel and....umm....where was I?  Right.  These events are not ones adults can experience and emphasizes a certain magical period of childhood.  So to an extent, I can see merit in that line of though for why children are the preferred perspective through which many Japanese games are based. 

So my question to you guys is do you believe this sentiment is true?  That Japan as a society has a far bleaker take on growing up than the West?  I was born and raised in China, moving to San Francisco when I was seven.  Even then, I was strongly influenced by my parents' values in my "growing up" phase so I don't quite find myself all that well placed to answer the question from either side.  My own personal view on childhood has always been a segment of my life that serves to prepare me for adulthood where the freedoms and "great times" aren't apparent until after I've grown up a bit.  So while I do miss it, I do wonder if I'll view my twenties in the same light after another 8 years pass, and my thirties another decade after that.  How about you?
 
Source:  http://www.sankakucomplex.com/2010/08/22/why-are-characters-in-japanese-rpgs-always-children/
This is Sankaku, so as usual, NSFW.

On a side note: Yay, my 1000th post and a semi-intelligent one for once! (Oh, I guess blog posts don't add to your post count.  WELP!)
On a side side note: I'm not sure how I should feel about having Sankaku Complex be a fairly decent source of rather intellectually stimulating material for me.

There are many reasons why the western audience seem largely put off by jrpgs.  It ranges from basic gameplay mechanics to the story telling traditions.  The one I'd like to take a closer look at today however is the fact that the cast of jrpgs have had the habit of always being children.  This point was brought up on the massive 2chan message board and quite a few theories are tossed around, ranging from "games are for kids" to "kids are easier to empathize with" to "kids are better looking than old guys."  The usual "better kids than muscle heads" complete the rounds.  Obviously, the range in probability and intelligence within those response is fairly vast.  
 
However, there were two takes on the issue that really drew my attention that I will actually quote in full below.
 
" I don’t know about America, but in Japan you get the most freedom in your life from middle school to university." 
 
" Somebody in the original post said a Japanese person told him “highschool is the best time of your life for a Japanese.” I think this may be it. Japanese seem to think something important is lost when you grow up, like they worship a sort of childhood innocence. As a result JRPG protagonists are mostly youths.
On the other hand, overseas becoming older is more like “levelling up” and getting access to more experience and status. We could even say the western view has a “dream” – life still progresses and improves after childhood." 
 
 For those that are familiar with high school based slice of life anime such as Azumanga Daioh and Lucky Star, you might recall that things like the summer trip, the yearly sports festival, cultural festival, etc, are corner stones of those shows, emphasizing the special moments of one's high school years that may or may not be an actual reality in Japan.  For those that want a more GiantBomb related example, Persona 4 works well enough.  You have your summer trip out of town, going camping, the unforgettable school festival, the hot springs scene with Naoto without a hat in a towel and....umm....where was I?  Right.  These events are not ones adults can experience and emphasizes a certain magical period of childhood.  So to an extent, I can see merit in that line of though for why children are the preferred perspective through which many Japanese games are based. 

So my question to you guys is do you believe this sentiment is true?  That Japan as a society has a far bleaker take on growing up than the West?  I was born and raised in China, moving to San Francisco when I was seven.  Even then, I was strongly influenced by my parents' values in my "growing up" phase so I don't quite find myself all that well placed to answer the question from either side.  My own personal view on childhood has always been a segment of my life that serves to prepare me for adulthood where the freedoms and "great times" aren't apparent until after I've grown up a bit.  So while I do miss it, I do wonder if I'll view my twenties in the same light after another 8 years pass, and my thirties another decade after that.  How about you?
 
Source:  http://www.sankakucomplex.com/2010/08/22/why-are-characters-in-japanese-rpgs-always-children/
This is Sankaku, so as usual, NSFW.

On a side note: Yay, my 1000th post and a semi-intelligent one for once! (Oh, I guess blog posts don't add to your post count.  WELP!)
On a side side note: I'm not sure how I should feel about having Sankaku Complex be a fairly decent source of rather intellectually stimulating material for me.

Blog posts do not count as forum posts. Thus, you are still at 999 XD

Well for the Japanese when you grow up to an adult you become a salaryman and have to work until the day you can't.

Child protagonists make for easier story telling. Kids tend to be more open minded and optimistic which makes for a good adventuring protagonist. Also, jrpgs, when you boil away the more fantastic elements, tend to be about taking responsibility and stepping up to the plate and this tends to suit younger characters. Also, everything can be a metaphor for puberty when you have a teenage cast. It's an easy way to make plot events seem way more important.
 
As for Japan's view of being a grown up: from what I can tell being an office worker in Japan can be pretty soul crushing, with lots of values being placed on strictness and very little, if any, focus on workers as individuals. Things like Kessler Kam would probably be kind of mind blowing to them.
Of course, I say this based on third or fourth hand knowledge so take that for what it's worth.

This is an interesting development. I certainly didn't know such and it's easy to look at things through the dominant cultural view. It's easy to be narrow minded coming from America (well, I'm Canadian, same difference) but I always found it strange that people would say "Why are JRPG's like such and such, that's just weird!" From our cultural prospective, of course it's weird and to expect change is absurd. After all, I couldn't write for a Japanese audience; it makes sense to work with what you know.

Well, that certainly seems plausible--though I hesitate to call it as simply as "yo they liked being kids so they like to play as kids". The marshaling of the balanced, representative, trustworthy source of 2ch as "evidence" is also something to consider.
 
Still. I mean, it's so obviously a demonstrable trend in entertainment aimed toward Japanese youth--or at least the bit of it that finds its way over here--that of course there has to be a cultural reason for it. Personally it doesn't bother me, though I will say that I once preferred young heroes to older ones--through junior high, let's say--then I realized that I could relate to grown-ups too. Go figure.
 
It's not a dealbreaker by any means, though I will feel a twinge of annoyance whenever I feel a character's age is determined more due to appealing to a market segment than upholding any semblance of plausibility:
 

Many of the heroes in JRPG's experience a transition to manhood in addition to saving the world. The parallel between self discovery and the hero's journey are obvious and go hand in hand. Both involve someone who is not ready or even willing to have his life change get thrust into the realm of great responsibility. Note this works better for men, which is why men are usually the lead characters in JRPG's. So in real life a boy must learn things about himself as a man and take responsibility for his life and form a family and care for them. This journey of self discovery can easily translate to saving the world. Since the boy is already confused and defiant it is easy for him to rebel against whatever social woes are affecting his society. As he come to terms with his manhood he also comes to terms with the troubles of the world around him. He decides to take responsibility for his life and for the well being of society as a man should come to care for his wife and children. Of course actually finding love and forming a family can be, and usually is, part of the story. Eventually in real life a boy will overcome his childhood insecurities and find a place in society, in essence defeating the problems that held him back. In a JRPG the boy will literally defeat his problems in the form of a villain and through that come to terms with who he is and what he is meant to do in life. He will likely end his adventure by settling down with the one he loves as a man is expected to do especially in Japan. In Japan there is a strong belief in people working as a unit to improve society. As a boy you are free to do what you please, but as a man you must take responsibility and help improve society. It is very different than the individualistic stance taken in the US. 
 
If the main character were a full grown man he wouldn't be likely to act against the rest of society. He would be committed to his family and the betterment of his community and wouldn't take a hero's journey. So it only makes sense that a teenager be the main character as in Japanese society it would be silly for an upstanding adult to undertake such an adventure. It's actually quite interesting that in the new Final Fantasy the lead is an adult woman. Most likely this choice was made to appeal to Western audiences where girl power and feminism are much more prevalent. In Japan it would be considered shameful for a woman to act against the will of her husband and living single is much less common than in the US. 
 
So all that is why you normally see a teenage male as the lead character of a JRPG. It is also why women are often shown in JRPG's as disproportional and very often youthful looking. Adult women in Japan rarely wear revealing outfits or act brazenly sexual, and men as well are more likely to be less openly sexual than in other countries. The whole schoolgirl fetish in Japan is in response to this. Schoolgirls wear more revealing outfits and are more free to express themselves. They also have a level of perceived innocence that adults no longer have. There is a lot of pent up sexual energy in Japan, which is why you get some seriously perverted movies/anime/games coming from there. In addition the Japanese have long workdays and often work six days of the week meaning they are often frustrated with life. The idea of a teen who is free to do as he pleases is something that most Japanese adults yearn. So that is why you see teens as the main characters of JRPG's. Hope that helps.

I thought it was because all japanese people are secretly pedophiles.