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Business

Gazal M

29 AUG 2025 | 04:59:20

Can you survive on just 2 hours of screen time a day? Well...that's what a town in Japan wants all of its 69,000 residents to do. Toyoake, in Aichi prefecture, is proposing voluntary phone-use guidelines in an effort to help families unplug.

The limit -- which will be recommended for all residents in central Japan's Toyoake City -- will not be binding and there will be no penalties incurred for higher usage, according to the draft ordinance.

The proposal aims "to prevent excessive use of devices causing physical and mental health issues... including sleep problems," mayor Masafumi Koki said in a statement on Friday.

Not a Law, Just Guidelines

This proposal, isn't meant to be a law. There would be no fines or penalties. The mayor says that its just meant to encourage people to rethink how much time they spend glued to their screens.

And the guideline would apply only to leisure use. Watching videos while cooking, online learning, or even esports practice won’t count toward the limit.

Public Backlash and Clarification

The angry response prompted the mayor to clarify that the two-hour limit was not mandatory, emphasising that the guidelines "acknowledge smartphones are useful and indipensable in daily life.

When Will It Take Effect?

The ordinance will be considered next week, and if passed, it will come into effect in October. In 2020, the western Kagawa region issued a first-of-its-kind ordinance calling for children to be limited to an hour a day of gaming during the week, and 90 minutes during school holidays.

It also suggested children aged 12 to 15 should not be allowed to use smartphones later than 9:00 pm, with the limit rising to 10:00 pm for children between 15 and 18.

How Much Time Do Youth Spend Online?

Japanese youth spend slightly over five hours on average a day online on weekdays, according to a survey published in March by the Children and Families Agency.

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