Smartphones Cited As Main Reason Behind Fewer People Reading Books in Japan; Schools Increasing Librarians to Encourage Reading

The Yomiuri Shimbun

6:00 JST, September 18, 2024

A recent survey by the Cultural Affairs Agency showed how people have shifted from reading books, and most respondents said it was due to spending long hours looking at their smartphones.

According to the fiscal 2023 survey on reading and Japanese language, the percentage of respondents who said they read fewer books because they spent more time on such devices as their smartphones was 70.9% among those age 16 to 19, 67.3% among those in their 20s and 60.7% among respondents in their 30s.

The number of people who said they were too busy with work or studying to read books was decreasing, suggesting that respondents, particularly young people, are spending more time on such devices.

To encourage young people to read more, schools are updating their reading lists or increasing the number of school librarians.

At Maibara Municipal Sakata Elementary School in Shiga Prefecture, for example, its school librarians work with teachers to order reading materials from the city library and helps children select books. As a result, the number of books that have been checked out has doubled.

“We see older students reading to the younger ones,” said principal Masaaki Yamaguchi.

Tokyo Gakugei University Prof. Kazuhiro Nakamura, who specializes in Japanese language education, said, “It’s important for schools to expose their students to many books and teach them about the significance, as well as the benefits of reading, including the development of their critical thinking skills and ability to express themselves.”