Time Difference Between Japan and China
As of 31 August 2026, China is 1 hour behind Japan. This difference is fixed: neither zone shifts its clocks against the other, so it holds all year.
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Tokyo, Japan
07:34
Tue, Sep 1, 2026
UTC+9 · Asia/Tokyo
Beijing, China
-1h06:34
Tue, Sep 1, 2026
UTC+8 · Asia/Shanghai
China is 1 hour behind Japan.
Time zone details
| Place | Local date | Time zone | UTC offset | Summer time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | Tuesday, September 1, 2026 | Asia/Tokyo | UTC+9 | Not observed |
| China | Tuesday, September 1, 2026 | Asia/Shanghai | UTC+8 | Not observed |
China: China uses a single official time zone across the whole country.
Hour by hour: Japan to China
Every hour of today in Japan and what it is in China. Highlighted rows fall inside China working hours (09:00–18:00).
| Japan | China |
|---|---|
| 00:00 | 23:00prev day |
| 01:00 | 00:00 |
| 02:00 | 01:00 |
| 03:00 | 02:00 |
| 04:00 | 03:00 |
| 05:00 | 04:00 |
| 06:00 | 05:00 |
| 07:00 | 06:00 |
| 08:00 | 07:00 |
| 09:00 | 08:00 |
| 10:00 | 09:00 |
| 11:00 | 10:00 |
| Japan | China |
|---|---|
| 12:00 | 11:00 |
| 13:00 | 12:00 |
| 14:00 | 13:00 |
| 15:00 | 14:00 |
| 16:00 | 15:00 |
| 17:00 | 16:00 |
| 18:00 | 17:00 |
| 19:00 | 18:00 |
| 20:00 | 19:00 |
| 21:00 | 20:00 |
| 22:00 | 21:00 |
| 23:00 | 22:00 |
Best time to call or meet
Overlapping working hours
10:00–18:00 in Japan (09:00–17:00 in China)
Both places are inside 09:00–18:00 for 8 hours a day. Anything in this window works without asking anyone to stay late.
Reasonable calling hours
09:00–21:00 in Japan (08:00–20:00 in China)
Both people are awake and available between 08:00 and 21:00 local time during this window.
When this difference changes
Neither Japan nor China changes its clocks, so the difference of 1 hour stays the same all year.
Planning something with more than two places?
Adding a third city usually kills the obvious answer. The Meeting Time Finder takes up to five cities at once and shows only the hours that work for everybody.
Japan and China: common questions
What is the time difference between Japan and China?
China is 1 hour behind Japan, and this does not change during the year because the difference between these two zones is fixed.
When it is 9:00 AM in Japan, what time is it in China?
It is 08:00 AM in Beijing, China. Use the time field in the calculator above to check any other hour.
Is China ahead of or behind Japan?
China is behind Japan by 1 hour at the moment. In practical terms, the working day in China starts and ends later in Japan terms.
Do Japan and China observe daylight saving time?
Neither Japan nor China observes daylight saving time, so the difference stays at 1 hour all year.
What is the best time to call China from Japan?
Working hours overlap between 10:00 and 18:00 Japan time, which is 09:00 to 17:00 in China. Calls inside that window reach both sides during the normal working day.
Related comparisons
Local dates shown for Tokyo, Japan (UTC+9) and Beijing, China (UTC+8) were generated on Monday, August 31, 2026 UTC and refresh in your browser.