Aichi Pref. City Proposes 2-Hour Cap on Smartphone Use for Residents

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:08 JST, August 25, 2025

TOYOAKE, Aichi — The city of Toyoake, Aichi Prefecture, on Monday submitted a proposed ordinance to the municipal assembly’s regular session that advises city residents to limit use of smartphones and tablets during leisure time outside of work or study to no more than two hours a day.

The ordinance, which includes neither penalties nor legal force, is expected to come into effect on Oct. 1. According to the city, it will be the first such ordinance in Japan to explicitly specify time limits for the use of smartphones for all local residents.

The city is believed to have decided to establish the ordinance in an aim to promote the appropriate use of digital devices after identifying cases where children excessively use their smartphones or parents allow infants and toddlers to use them for extended periods.

Based on the national government’s guidelines on sleep time and other materials, the proposed ordinance urges elementary school students and younger to avoid using smartphones, gaming devices and computers after 9 p.m. and junior high school students and older not to use them after 10 p.m. to ensure they get the right amount of sleep.

The ordinance encourages families to establish their own rules on the use of the devices.

Speaking at the regular session, Toyoake Mayor Masafumi Koki said that the ordinance proposal is based on the premise that smartphones are convenient and indispensable tools for daily life, and that it does not aim to restrict residents’ rights or impose obligations. “I hope, by encouraging all city residents to consider the appropriate use of the devices, the ordinance will provide families with opportunities to discuss the matter,” Koki said.