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

"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."

Toyoake has proposed a municipal ordinance urging residents to limit smartphone use to two hours per day outside of work or school. The guideline would be nonbinding and would carry no penalties for exceeding the suggested cap. City officials say excessive leisure-time smartphone use harms people across age groups and based the recommendation on data from the Japanese Health Ministry. The draft calls for elementary students to avoid phones after 9 p.m. and for junior high and older students not to use them after 10 p.m. The proposal prompted mayoral clarifications and public debate ahead of a September 22 vote.

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