Japanese City Passes Two-Hours-a-Day Smartphone Usage Ordinance

Japanese city passes ordinance to limit smartphone use, applies to people outside the city too

Kids, adults, and even students who don’t live in the city are told to limit their use of smartphones and other devices. On Monday, the city council of Toyoake, Aichi Prefecture, passed a municipal ordinance to limit the amount of time per day that residents and others within the city should be allowed to use their smartphones. The measure passed with 12 out of 19 participating council members voting in favor of its resolution, and comes one mon…

Japanese City Passes Two-Hours-a-Day Smartphone Usage Ordinance

The Japanese city of Toyoake has passed (PDF) a symbolic ordinance limiting recreational smartphone use to two hours a day, aiming to improve citizens' sleep -- especially for students after summer vacation. The Register reports: "The primary purpose of this ordinance is to ensure that all citizens receive adequate sleep," states a Council information page, which explains that many Japanese people ignore Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare rec…