Toyoake: The Japanese city that wants to limit cell phone use to two hours a day

The Japanese city of Toyoake wants its residents to spend less time glued to their smartphones. The commuter town of 69,000 people on the outskirts of Nagoya will urge all cell phone users to limit their daily usage to two hours outside of work or school, according to a proposed municipal ordinance. The pioneering regulation, which has yet to be approved, would not be binding and carries no penalties for exceeding the suggested cap, but it has already sparked heated debate in a highly technological country where — as in many societies — reliance on these devices is widespread.

The Toyoake city government, in Aichi prefecture in central Japan, announced the proposal on August 21, prompting the mayor to issue clarifications. “This does not mean that the city will restrict residents’ rights or impose obligations on them,” Mayor Masafumi Koki said, as reported by the Mainichi newspaper. “Rather, I hope it serves as an opportunity for each family to reflect and discuss how much time they spend on smartphones, as well as what times of day they use these devices.”

City officials argue that excessive smartphone use during leisure hours outside work and study negatively affects a wide range of age groups, from children to adults, and they based the two-hour guideline on data and materials from the Japanese Health Ministry. They also claim this would be the first ordinance of its kind in Japan aimed at all residents of a municipality.

The draft ordinance, scheduled for a vote on September 22, also calls on elementary school students (ages six to 12) to avoid smartphones after 9 p.m., and advises junior high and older students (12 to 18 and above) not to use them after 10 p.m.

Introduced to coincide with the start of the school year, the proposal acknowledges that smartphones, personal computers and tablets are essential tools, but warns that excessive use of social media and video streaming can negatively impact health and family life.

The measure aims to “prevent excessive use of devices that cause physical and mental health problems, including sleep issues,” and officials decided to use an ordinance “to send a special message and ensure that citizens take it seriously,” the mayor explained, while adding that he is open to debating amendments. If approved, it would take effect on October 1.

The initiative has been met with skepticism. The city has collected more than 120 public comments, with around 80% opposing the plan and questioning whether there is “a right to restrict freedom.” A few, however, expressed support: “I have long observed smartphone dependency and urge that the ordinance be passed,” one resident said, according to Mainichi. The proposal has also fueled online debate, with critics noting that two hours is not even enough time to read a book or watch a film.

The mayor has since clarified that smartphone use during non-recreational activities — such as watching videos while cooking or exercising, online learning, or practicing for an e-sports tournament — would not count toward the two-hour limit, according to the BBC.

Japanese youths spend nearly five hours a day online during the week on average, and about 65% of 10-year-olds already own a smartphone, according to a 2024 survey by the government’s Children and Families Agency.

There is a precedent for the Toyoake measure. In 2020, Japan’s Kagawa prefecture introduced a rule limiting video game use for minors under 18 to 60 minutes on school days and 90 minutes on non-school days. It also proposed a digital curfew between 9 and 10 p.m., depending on the child’s age. Like the current plan, the regulation carried no penalties and left responsibility for enforcement with parents and guardians. It was the first such legislation in Japan, and although a user challenged it in court, a judge upheld its constitutionality in 2022.

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