The municipal assembly of Toyoake in Aichi Prefecture on Monday passed an ordinance limiting daily leisure-related screen time for all residents to two hours, becoming the first municipality in Japan to do so.
The ordinance, aimed at preventing an excessive use of smartphones, personal computers and tablet devices, was approved via a majority vote at a plenary session of the assembly. It will take effect Oct. 1.
The Toyoake local law serves as guidance and does not apply to the use of such devices for study, work or household chores. There are no penalties for violators.
"We're not rejecting smartphones," Toyoake Mayor Masafumi Kouki told reporters. He said 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.
The ordinance is also designed to increase conversations within families. It calls for refraining from using smartphones and other gadgets after 9 p.m. for elementary school students and younger children, and after 10 p.m. for junior high school students and others under 18.
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.
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