A town in Japan is asking residents to drastically cut back on their smartphone use in a bid to tackle rising concerns about online addiction, poor sleep, and declining mental health.
Officials in Toyoake, located in Aichi prefecture, have proposed that people, children and adults alike restrict their daily screen time to just two hours. The draft measure, described as the first of its kind in Japan to target an entire community, is currently being debated by the municipal assembly and could take effect in October if approved, The Guardian reported.
What the proposal says
Under the guidelines, children aged 6 to 12 are urged to avoid smartphones and tablets after 9 pm, while teenagers and adults are encouraged to switch off by 10 pm. While the rules would be non-binding, the idea is to promote healthier digital habits and reduce problems linked to excessive use, including truancy among children and sleep deprivation among adults.
“We want to prevent excessive device use from causing physical and mental health issues, including sleep problems,” Toyoake mayor Masafumi Koki said. He added that smartphones are “indispensable in daily life” but hoped the proposal would spark family discussions about how and when devices are used.
Residents push back
The initiative has triggered a sharp response from Toyoake’s 69,000 residents. According to reports, the town received more than 120 phone calls and emails in the days following the announcement, around 80% of them critical.
On social media, many dismissed the idea as unrealistic. “Two hours isn’t even enough to read a book or watch a movie on my phone,” one user wrote. Another added, “The intention is good, but this isn’t practical.”
Wider context
Toyoake’s plan reflects growing concern in Japan over the impact of screen time on children and families. In 2020, another region introduced a similar non-binding ordinance limiting children to one hour of gaming on school days and 90 minutes during holidays.
According to a government survey released earlier this year, young people in Japan spend an average of more than five hours online every weekday, a trend that officials say is contributing to behavioural issues, sleep problems, and reduced family time.