The city council in the Japanese city of Toyoake has passed an ordinance that symbolically limits recreational use of smartphones to just two hours each day.

The council passed the ordinance on Promoting the Proper Use of Smartphones [PDF] because it wants residents – and especially students returning to school – to get more sleep.

“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 recommendations to spend six to eight hours a day dozing. An accompanying FAQ [PDF] explains that Council passed the ordinance because students who return to school after summer vacations sometimes need a nudge the re-establish an appropriate dail

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