TOKYO >> A recent survey by Japan’s Cultural Affairs Agency showed that people have moved away from reading books, and most respondents said it was due to spending long hours looking at their smartphones.

According to the fiscal 2023 survey on reading and Japanese language, 70.9% of respondents ages 16 to 19 said they read fewer books because they spent more time on devices such as smartphones; 67.3% of those in their 20s and 60.7% of respondents in their 30s said the same.

The number of people who said they were too busy with work or studying to read books decreased, suggesting that survey respondents, particularly young people, are spending more time on devices.

To encourage young people to read more, Japan’s schools are updating their reading lists and increasing the number of school librarians.

At Maibara Municipal Sakata Elementary School in Shiga prefecture, for example, school librarians are working with teachers to order reading materials from the city library and helping children select books. As a result, the number of books being checked out has doubled.

“We see older students reading to the younger ones,” said Masaaki Yamaguchi, the school principal.

“It’s important for schools to expose their students to many books and teach them about the significance, as well as the benefits of reading, including the development of their critical thinking skills and ability to express themselves,” said Kazuhiro Nakamura, a professor at Tokyo Gakugei University.