Overview

• The ordinance took effect on Oct. 1 for the city’s roughly 68,000 residents and excludes use for work or school.
• The city assembly approved the measure in a 12–7 vote after officials drafted a 2,400-character proposal.
• City officials reported about 400 mostly negative messages and a petition, and a local lawmaker publicly criticized the policy.
• Mayor Masafumi Kouki cites truancy and heavy device use as concerns and seeks more sleep and family time, with a government study showing students average about five hours on phones daily.
• The step follows Kagawa Prefecture’s 2020 gaming-time guideline that survived a legal challenge, and the mayor is considering limits on device use while walking.