Typical Working Hours in Japan

Standard office hours in Japan run 9:00–18:00, averaging 42 hours per week. Below you'll find scheduling tips, timezone context, and a live overlap planner with London.

• Office hours are typically 9:00–18:00, but overtime until 20:00–22:00 is common in corporate environments.
• Punctuality is critical — arriving even one minute late is considered disrespectful.
• Decision-making follows 'nemawashi' (consensus-building), so allow extra lead time for approvals.
• Golden Week (late April–early May) is a major holiday cluster; plan around a 1–2 week communications gap.
• Morning hours in Tokyo (9:00–12:00 JST) align best with European afternoons and US evenings.

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