This city in Japan wants citizens to use smartphones just for two hours

Smartphones

The city of Toyoake, a suburb of Nagoya, Japan, is taking a bold, if largely symbolic, step to curb screen time. According to a report by The New York Times, mayor Masafumi Kouki unveiled a new ordinance recommending that residents limit their use of smartphones, tablets, game consoles, and computers to two hours per day outside of work and school. The 2,400-character law, approved in a 12-7 city assembly vote, goes into effect Wednesday.

“It’s so sad to end your day looking at your smartphone all the time at home,” Kouki told The New York Times. “I hope that citizens change their behavior.” The mayor’s aim is simple: encourage more sleep, foster family interaction, and reduce the grip of digital devices on daily life. Kouki, father of two, said he himself has cut down his personal screen time, swapping full baseball games for highlight reels at home, as per the report.

Despite the ordinance’s non-binding nature — there are no penalties or monitoring — reactions have been mixed. Some residents support the idea as a wake-up call. Asami Sahara, a mother of a 5-year-old, said she might use the rule to encourage her son to put down his devices. Others have reacted with anger, calling the move intrusive.

Local lawmaker Mariko Fujie, who voted against the measure, said it was “none of your business” and criticized the ordinance as lacking scientific backing and ignoring children’s rights. Around 400 calls and messages were received by city authorities, mostly negative, according to the report.

Toyoake’s push comes amid broader concerns in Japan about screen addiction, particularly among young people. A government study last year found Japanese students spend roughly five hours daily on their phones. Previous attempts to curb usage, such as Kagawa Prefecture’s 2020 limit on video gaming, prompted protests and lawsuits, though the rules were upheld.

For many residents, phones remain indispensable. University student Kairi Tani described his device as “rooted” to his brain, with five to six hours of daily use. Yet, for others, the ordinance could act as a gentle nudge to reconsider habits. Kouki sees the measure as a conversation starter rather than a strict rule.

“When you get on a train in Japan, most passengers are looking at their smartphones and not doing anything else like looking at the scenery,” he said. Kouki hopes Toyoake can set an example for other cities and is even considering further regulations, including measures to discourage phone use while walking. “I don’t mind facing criticism at all,” he said. “I just want families to have more time to communicate, and more people to have more sleep,” he told the publication.