'Time runs away': Japan's city with a two-hour cap on phone use | International

There are no penalties for exceeding its recommended two-hour limit, which applies to adults and children alike and was approved by the city council in a 12-7 vote. "It's certainly a rare step -- we know that," said the 56-year-old Kouki, whose own phone screen has multiple cracks. When the ordinance was first proposed, "opposition was almost universal". But many citizens came round to the idea, he said, when they learned that the daily cap does not include work or study time and is meant as a guideline, not a strict rule. Among Toyoake's population of nearly 68,000, not everyone is convinced. "Nowadays... we do everything -- studying, hobbies, communication -- through a single smartphone," said 22-year-old law student Shutaro...