PST to JST: US West Coast–Japan time difference and best meeting times
San Francisco to Tokyo time · PST/PDT to JST
San Francisco and Tokyo share no 9-to-5 working hours for most of the year. The fairest 1-hour meeting is 16:30 in San Francisco = 08:30 (next day) in Tokyo.
Tokyo is a day ahead of the US West Coast on the calendar: a San Francisco afternoon is the next morning in Tokyo.
Time difference
Tokyo is 16h ahead of San Francisco
Most of the year; see below for other dates.
Shared working hours
None
Standard 09:00–17:00 days don't meet.
Fairest 1-hour meeting
16:30 in San Francisco = 08:30 (next day) in Tokyo
San Francisco stretches 30m, Tokyo stretches 30m.
How the gap changes in 2027
- 14 Mar – 6 Nov (238 days): Tokyo is 16h ahead of San Francisco. No shared standard hours; fairest meeting 16:30 in San Francisco = 08:30 (next day) in Tokyo.
- 1 Jan – 13 Mar, 7 Nov – 31 Dec (127 days): Tokyo is 17h ahead of San Francisco. Shared hours: 16:00–17:00 in San Francisco = 09:00 (next day)–10:00 (next day) in Tokyo.
- San Francisco:
- UTC−8 standard, UTC−7 daylight saving
- Tokyo:
- UTC+9 all year (no daylight saving)
- 14 Mar: San Francisco clocks go forward 1h
- 7 Nov: San Francisco clocks go back 1h
Hour-by-hour: San Francisco to Tokyo
Working hours are 09:00–17:00; night is 23:00–07:00.
| San Francisco | Tokyo14 Mar – 6 Nov | Tokyo1 Jan – 13 Mar, 7 Nov – 31 Dec |
|---|---|---|
| 00:00 | 16:00 | 17:00 |
| 01:00 | 17:00 | 18:00 |
| 02:00 | 18:00 | 19:00 |
| 03:00 | 19:00 | 20:00 |
| 04:00 | 20:00 | 21:00 |
| 05:00 | 21:00 | 22:00 |
| 06:00 | 22:00 | 23:00 |
| 07:00 | 23:00 | 00:00 (next day) |
| 08:00 | 00:00 (next day) | 01:00 (next day) |
| 09:00 | 01:00 (next day) | 02:00 (next day) |
| 10:00 | 02:00 (next day) | 03:00 (next day) |
| 11:00 | 03:00 (next day) | 04:00 (next day) |
| 12:00 | 04:00 (next day) | 05:00 (next day) |
| 13:00 | 05:00 (next day) | 06:00 (next day) |
| 14:00 | 06:00 (next day) | 07:00 (next day) |
| 15:00 | 07:00 (next day) | 08:00 (next day) |
| 16:00 | 08:00 (next day) | 09:00 (next day) |
| 17:00 | 09:00 (next day) | 10:00 (next day) |
| 18:00 | 10:00 (next day) | 11:00 (next day) |
| 19:00 | 11:00 (next day) | 12:00 (next day) |
| 20:00 | 12:00 (next day) | 13:00 (next day) |
| 21:00 | 13:00 (next day) | 14:00 (next day) |
| 22:00 | 14:00 (next day) | 15:00 (next day) |
| 23:00 | 15:00 (next day) | 16:00 (next day) |
Tips for US West Coast and Japan teams
- Japan doesn't use daylight saving time, so the gap moves by an hour whenever San Francisco changes its clocks. Recurring meetings set in one place's time will shift for the other.
- With no shared standard hours, agree which side stretches its day, and rotate the inconvenient slot so it doesn't always fall on the same people.
- Keep live meetings for decisions that need discussion; use written handoffs at the end of each day for everything else.
Based on 09:00–17:00 working days in San Francisco and Tokyo, using 2027 clock-change dates. Real schedules vary, so confirm with your team.