2025-08-26 11:01:48

A city in Japan has proposed a two-hour daily limit on smartphone use.

Toyoake, which is in the Aichi Prefecture, is considering an ordinance which would urge people to only allow themselves a couple of hours screen time on their devices, outside work or school.

The limit would be recommended for all residents, although it’s said in a draft that people wouldn’t face a penalty for going over the threshold.

According to Toyoake Mayor Masafumi Koki, the proposal is being considered with the aim of preventing “excessive use of devices causing physical and mental health issues … including sleep problems”.

Also in the proposal is advice for elementary school students not to use their smartphones after 9pm, with people in junior high school and older urged to stop using their devices after 10pm.

In Japan, the youth spend an average of just over five hours a day online during the week, according to the Children and Families Agency.

After backlash from social media users, the mayor has clarified that the limit wouldn’t be mandatory.

He insisted the guidelines still “acknowledge smartphones are useful and indispensable in daily life”.

The ordinance will be considered next week, and if passed the proposal will come into effect in October 2025.

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