What is the time difference between Tokyo and San Francisco?

Tokyo (JST, UTC+9) is 17 hours ahead of San Francisco during US Pacific Standard Time (PST, UTC-8, roughly November through March) and 16 hours ahead during Pacific Daylight Time (PDT, UTC-7, roughly March through November). Tokyo does not observe daylight saving time, so the entire offset shift comes from San Francisco's DST transition.

Does Tokyo observe Daylight Saving Time?

No. Japan abolished Daylight Saving Time in 1952 and has not used it since. Tokyo stays on JST (UTC+9) year-round.

When does San Francisco change its clocks?

San Francisco moves clocks forward on the second Sunday in March at 02:00 PST (becoming PDT, UTC-7) and back on the first Sunday in November at 02:00 PDT (returning to PST, UTC-8).

What are good meeting times for both Tokyo and San Francisco?

The overlap is tight. Tokyo business hours 09:00–18:00 JST correspond to 16:00–01:00 the previous day in San Francisco (PDT) or 15:00–00:00 (PST). In practice, late afternoon in San Francisco (16:00–18:00 PDT) matches early morning in Tokyo (09:00–11:00 next day) — the most practical window for both sides.

Is Tokyo always ahead of San Francisco?

Yes. Tokyo (UTC+9) is always ahead of San Francisco (UTC-8 or UTC-7). The difference is 17 hours during PST season and 16 hours during PDT season.

Is this tool accurate for scheduling?

Yes. It uses the IANA timezone database embedded in your browser — the same source used by operating systems and calendar apps worldwide. Accuracy depends on your device clock being synchronized via NTP, which most devices do automatically.

Time Difference: Tokyo to San Francisco

Name: Time Difference: Tokyo to San Francisco
Availability: InStock
Author: Nham Vu

See the current time in Tokyo (JST, UTC+9) and San Francisco (PST/PDT) side by side, with the live hour offset and a built-in time converter.

Tokyo, Japan

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JST UTC+9

San Francisco, USA

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PST UTC-8

Current Offset

+17 hours

Tokyo is 17 hours ahead of San Francisco (PST season)

Convert a Specific Time

Enter a Tokyo time to see the San Francisco equivalent, or vice versa

Tokyo Time (JST)

Enter any JST time

San Francisco Time (PST)

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San Francisco Time (PST)

Enter any PST/PDT time

Tokyo Time (JST)

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Meeting Overlap Finder

Business hours (09:00–18:00) highlighted — best overlap shaded

Tokyo (JST)	San Francisco (PST)	Status

Quick Reference: Tokyo to San Francisco

Common JST hours and their PST equivalents

Tokyo (JST)	San Francisco (PST)

Summary

See the current time in Tokyo (JST, UTC+9) and San Francisco (PST/PDT) side by side, with the live hour offset and a built-in time converter.

How it works

Your browser reads the current moment from your device clock.
It converts that moment to Asia/Tokyo time (JST, UTC+9) using the IANA timezone database built into modern browsers.
The same moment is converted to America/Los_Angeles time (PST or PDT depending on the season).
The UTC offsets of both cities are compared to calculate the exact hour difference.
Both clocks and the offset refresh every second in real time.
DST transitions for San Francisco are handled automatically by the browser; Tokyo stays at UTC+9 year-round.

Use cases

Scheduling video calls between Tokyo and San Francisco offices.
Checking if a colleague in San Francisco is still at their desk when working from Tokyo.
Planning Japan-California travel and comparing departure and arrival times.
Remote teams coordinating daily standups across Japan and the Bay Area.
Finding overlapping business hours for Tokyo-San Francisco meetings.
Investors monitoring Tokyo and San Francisco financial market hours.
Students and teachers arranging online lessons between Japan and Northern California.
Converting a specific meeting time from JST to PST/PDT before sending a calendar invite.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-07-26 · Reviewed by Nham Vu