Key points
- Smartphone curfews suggested for children, adults
- Eighty percent of residents oppose the proposal
- Experts link screen time to digital isolation
ISLAMABAD: In a bold move that has stirred nationwide debate over Japan’s growing dependence on technology, a central Japanese town has proposed a daily two-hour smartphone limit for all its 69,000 residents — an unprecedented step that officials say aims to tackle rising anxiety, loneliness, and social withdrawal linked to excessive screen time.
The proposal, introduced by the Toyoake municipal government in Aichi Prefecture earlier this week, is believed to be the first of its kind in Japan.
Lawmakers are now debating whether to pass the measure in October, according to the BBC.
Toyoake’s Mayor Masafumi Koki clarified that the plan would not be legally enforced but is meant to “encourage” residents to rethink their relationship with technology. “The two-hour limit… is merely a guideline… to encourage citizens,” Koki said, stressing that the city would not restrict residents’ rights.
Proposed limit
The proposed limit excludes screen use for work, study, or practical multitasking — such as watching cooking tutorials or exercising with online videos.
The mayor noted that while smartphones are “useful and indispensable in daily life,” they have contributed to rising mental health concerns, with some students refusing to attend school without their phones and adults sacrificing sleep and family time for endless scrolling.
Officials say the initiative is as much about community reflection as it is about digital discipline.
The plan also recommends curfews — 21:00 for primary students and 22:00 for older users — to promote healthier sleep patterns.
Yet, the proposal has divided opinion. According to Mainichi Shimbun, 80% of the 120 residents who responded during consultations opposed the idea, calling it unrealistic. On social media, critics argued that “you cannot even read a book or watch a movie” in two hours.
Still, mental health experts say Toyoake’s move shines a light on a deeper issue — Japan’s rising “digital isolation,” where prolonged screen use is increasingly linked to anxiety, depression, and social withdrawal, especially among young people.
