About Tokyo time
Tokyo runs on Japan Standard Time, a single nationwide zone nine hours ahead of UTC that governs one of the world’s densest transport and trading networks.
Japanese train punctuality is legendary — Shinkansen delays are measured in seconds, and an average annual delay of under a minute is the norm. Because there is no DST, Tokyo’s gap with DST-observing cities like London and New York shifts twice a year even though Tokyo’s own clocks never move. Golden Week in late April/early May and the New Year (Shōgatsu) period sharply reduce business availability.