Toyoake City in central Japan has drafted an ordinance recommending that residents restrict smartphone use to no more than two hours per day outside work or school.
The proposal, announced by Mayor Masafumi Koki on Friday, is non-binding and carries no penalties. Its aim, he explained, is to curb excessive screen time linked to sleep disturbances and other physical and mental health concerns.
The draft guidelines advise elementary school children to avoid smartphones after 9:00 p.m., while junior high students and older students are encouraged to stop using them after 10:00 p.m.
The plan quickly sparked criticism online, with many users calling it impractical. “The idea is understandable, but two hours is unrealistic,” one person wrote on X, while another commented that smartphone use should be left to family decisions rather than city regulation.
In response to the backlash, Mayor Koki clarified that the recommendations are voluntary and acknowledged the importance of smartphones in daily life.
The ordinance will be reviewed next week and, if approved, will take effect in October.
Japan has made similar attempts in the past: in 2020, Kagawa Prefecture introduced guidelines limiting children to one hour of gaming on weekdays and 90 minutes during holidays, with smartphone curfews based on age.
A survey by the Children and Families Agency published in March found that Japanese youth spend an average of more than five hours online each weekday.
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