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.