Japan Moves to Tighten Online Rules for Children

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"Honestly, I have no idea what my child is actually using the device for," admits a 41-year-old company employee living in Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo.

Under the education ministry's "One Device per Student" policy, his eldest son, a sixth grader, received a tablet at his ward-run elementary school. Large numbers of children became absorbed in online games and video streaming late into the night, prompting the school to ban device use after 9 PM.

With no opportunity at school to learn proper usage, the father laments that the gap in parents' digital literacy ends up being passed straight on to their children.

According to a survey the Children and Families Agency conducted last year of roughly 3,000 respondents aged 10 to 17, the average weekday internet use was five hours and 27 minutes.

Some 22.3% of respondents said internet use had caused them to lose concentration on schoolwork or get insufficient sleep. Cases of bullying and crime originating from social media use have also continued to mount.

A Law Built for a Different Internet

Legislation has failed to keep pace with a rapidly changing online environment.

The internet environment law, enacted in 2008, defines obscene depictions and violent content as "harmful information for young people" and requires telecom carriers to implement measures restricting access for those under 18.

Platform operators running social media services such as X and Instagram, however, are not subject to the same obligation.

Even where terms of service set a minimum age—13 and up, for instance—birth dates are self-reported, meaning virtually anyone can register. To address this gap, the agency has spent six months deliberating the issue through a panel of experts.

In a draft outline of the interim report released on June 26, the agency indicated it would ask platform operators to adopt stricter age-verification methods, including possible use of the My Number card system.

It would also require operators to assess risks to users' physical and mental health themselves and disclose countermeasures, with penalties for noncompliance under consideration.

At the same time, some argue that online spaces have become a place of belonging for children, and age restrictions were left out of the draft. There also remains strong sentiment that government-imposed legal restrictions would infringe on individuals' right to information and freedom of expression.

Cities Take Matters Into Their Own Hands

Some municipalities are moving ahead on their own. Toyoake City in Aichi Prefecture became the first in Japan to enact an ordinance, which took effect last October, setting a guideline of no more than two hours of daily leisure smartphone use.

According to a survey the city released on July 6, of 1,670 residents polled, 11.1% said they had discussed usage rules with their families since the ordinance took effect, and 3.8% reported an increase in sleep time. Mayor Masafumi Koki said the results showed a degree of change despite the ordinance carrying no penalties.