Japanese city passes ordinance capping daily screen time to two hours

Tokyo: Toyoake in Aichi Prefecture has become the first municipality in Japan to introduce an ordinance asking all residents to limit their use of smartphones.

Toyoake’s municipal assembly passed an ordinance limiting daily leisure-related screen time for all residents to two hours, the local media reported on Tuesday.

The ordinance, reports cited, aims at preventing an excessive use of smartphones, personal computers and tablet devices. It was approved via a majority vote at a plenary session of the assembly.

Taking effect October 1, the local law serves as guidance and does not apply to the use of such devices for study, work or household chores and there are no penalties for the violators.

Toyoake Mayor Masafumi Kouki was quoted by Japan Times as saying that the ordinance is only part of the city’s measures on resident health and the aim was for residents to see whether they are losing sleep by using smartphones too much.

“We’re not rejecting smartphones,” he told reporters, the daily reported highlighting that the ordinance is also designed to increase conversations within families and calls for refraining from using smartphones and other gadgets after 9 pm for elementary school students and younger children, and after 10 pm for junior high school students and others under-18 years.

“Some residents have argued that the municipality should not meddle in family matters while others have taken the move by the assembly as an opportunity for discussions with family members. The municipal assembly also adopted a supplementary resolution calling on the city to review the ordinance when necessary, after examining its effects and residents’ opinions on a regular basis,” the Japanese media reported.

According to the Nippon Television Network (NTV), during previous deliberations, even council members who supported the ordinance repeatedly pointed out that the explanation to residents was insufficient.

“The city council also passed a supplementary resolution that includes measures to respect the diversity of residents’ lifestyles and home environments, and to provide clear and concise information to avoid misunderstandings,” NTV reported.

IANS