Time difference between Istanbul and Tokyo

The gap holds all year

Neither city changes its clocks — Istanbul does not change its clocks and Tokyo does not change its clocks — so 6 hours is the difference in January and in July alike. That is worth knowing about this pair specifically, because most international pairs do move and a recurring meeting between them does not need checking twice a year.

About Istanbul and Tokyo

Türkiye abandoned daylight saving in 2016 and fixed the clocks at UTC+3 permanently, so it is on what used to be its summer time all year. Winter mornings in Istanbul are correspondingly dark, and the gap to Europe changes twice a year from Europe's side alone.

Japan is UTC+9 with no daylight saving anywhere, and has not had it since the occupation ended in 1952. The whole country runs one zone and the business day starts early, so the useful overlap with Europe is Japan's late afternoon.

What 6 hours actually costs you

The window is 2 hours wide and that is all there is. 9:00 AM–11:00 AM in Istanbul is 3:00 PM–5:00 PM in Tokyo, and anything outside it puts somebody at their desk when they are not meant to be. A pair this tight is worth putting in a calendar rather than agreeing each time.

When they can both be at their desks

Nine-to-five in both cities overlaps for 2 hours — 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM in Istanbul, the same moment as 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM in Tokyo.

Istanbul

Tokyo

00061218

How far apart Istanbul and Tokyo are

The shortest path over the Earth's surface between the two is 8,943 km (5,557 miles). Flown along that line, an airliner at cruising speed takes roughly 11 hours 15 minutes in the air — actual routings add to it, and whether a nonstop service exists depends on the airlines rather than the distance.

Over that distance you cross 6 hours of clock, which is where jet lag comes from: the body shifts by about an hour a day, so 6 hours takes most people 6 days or so to absorb. Flying east to Tokyo is the harder direction — you lose the hours and have to fall asleep earlier than your body wants.

Istanbul to Tokyo, hour by hour

On the usual gap of 6 hours.

Frequently asked questions