“It made my day more meaningful”: Japanese generation tries to limit two-hour smartphone use | Japan

Despite working full-time at a company in Tokyo, Shuki Moriyama manages to carve out eight hours a day to devote to his smartphone.

“I need my phone to navigate the information wars,” says Moriyama, 25, part of a generation that can’t imagine life without browsing news, social media, messaging apps and funky videos.

He is not alone. While excessive smartphone use is a global phenomenon, authorities in Japan are taking action, amid growing concern about its physical and psychological effects, especially on children and young people.

Last week, the central Japanese town of Toyoaki introduced a measure limiting smartphone use among its 69,000 residents to two hours a day, in what officials say is an attempt to address evidence of internet addiction and sleep deprivation. The decree – which was approved by the city council last month – does not impose penalties on those who ignore it.

Moriyama was among several people, all in their 20s, who took up The Guardian’s challenge to limit their smartphone use to a maximum of two hours and share their experiences.

There were resounding successes and huge failures.

Moriyama, who regularly checks out LINE — a “super app” for instant messaging, news and entertainment that is hugely popular in Japan — as well as TikTok, Instagram and

“I spend about eight hours a day on my phone, so two hours is too little… not enough time to stay on top of everything,” he says. “In the end, I used my smartphone for 1 hour and 50 minutes, which was a huge reduction in my usual screen time. I used the extra time to read a book, study a little, and go to the gym, so my day wasn’t wasted.”

His colleague Tomomi Hanaoka also managed to curb her habit. “I spend about three hours on my phone on weekdays and six or seven hours on weekends, so two hours seems very short. Most people need at least three to four hours,” says Hanaoka, who usually “can’t do without” LINE, TikTok and Instagram.

“I kept mine to two hours and used the free time to read and do other things.”

Akari Saito, a college student, got her warnings early on, “because my personality makes me set limits on something that makes me want to do it more.”

While Saito welcomed Toyoaki’s initiative as a starting point for a broader discussion about smartphone use, she says the focus should be on the quality of screen time, not the quantity. “Although setting boundaries between learning and entertainment can be difficult.”

Despite valiant efforts, Saito struggled to find her daily three to four hours of phone time. “I found it very difficult to hold it on during my train ride to school or while walking. But I can see that reducing my phone use might make the day seem longer and allow me to spend it more productively.”

Yuri* has actually tried to limit her smartphone use, usually when she has exams coming up, even going so far as to hide Instagram and set a password-activated lock for good measure.

She uses her device to check social media, look up recipes, send texts, and access school materials, although too much screen time gives her headaches and tired eyes.

“I wonder why the law directly recommends restricting the use of smartphones,” she says. “If the goal is to encourage people to rethink their use, they should be encouraged to make their own rules.”

“But I broadly agree with the proposed way of using a smartphone – that’s because I don’t need my smartphone to pursue my hobbies and interests. But people who mainly use their phones for entertainment and stress relief will find it difficult to accept measures like this.”

Toyoaki Mayor Masafumi Koki defended the measure, which sparked dozens of complaints from residents who accused the local government of interfering in their private lives.

Cookie notes that he regularly uses his smartphone to monitor baseball scores and consult maps — but puts it aside during dinner — and says he was concerned that children and young adults were sacrificing sleep and family time for scrolling, texting and posting.

After a wave of online criticism, some of which wrongly claimed the two-hour limit would be strictly enforced, he told the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper: “If someone hears two hours, they will stop and think about how long they actually use their smartphone. That’s the point.”

Young Japanese people spend an average of just over five hours a day online on weekdays, according to a survey published this year by the Agency for Children and Families.

Aya* spends significantly more time on her device than the national average, regularly up to eight hours a day.

“I couldn’t limit myself to just two hours, but just being aware of the challenge made a difference. In the end, I was able to reduce my usual smartphone use by about 60%, which seemed significant,” says the university student, admitting that she consulted a travel planner and checked her emails and text messages.

It expressed its support for Toyoaki’s initiative, predicting that the absence of sanctions could be its biggest asset.

“And that’s exactly what makes it meaningful… You have to make your own rules and adjust them accordingly. It’s an important opportunity to think concretely about our daily habits, not just in an abstract way.”

And she didn’t miss the hours she usually spends “ailess scrolling.”

“I spent more time enjoying conversations and noticing what was happening around me. It made my day more meaningful.”

That would be music to Cookie’s ears. On the eve of his city’s controversial social engineering experiment, the mayor insisted it would be worthwhile. “It’s about sleep, family and well-being,” he says. “If the ordinance makes even a few people stop and talk about their customs, then it’s working.”

*Name changed upon request.