YOKOHAMA: The city of Yamato near here became the first municipality in Japan to ban people from using their smartphones while walking in public.
Following the passage of a draft law in the city's assembly in Kanagawa Prefecture on Thursday, the rule will come into effect next Wednesday.
However, the ban does not carry any penalties for those who ignore it, reported Kyodo News.
The city said it hoped people would remember that smartphones should only be used when they were not in motion.
Under the law, pedestrians are expected to stop at a place where they are not obstructing traffic if they want to use their smartphones in public, such as in streets and parks.
In January, the city conducted a study at two locations, observing about 6,000 pedestrians, and found that roughly 12 per cent of them used their smartphones while walking.
Following the survey, the draft law was submitted to the city's assembly on June 1.