Next usable light
Tokyo
5:43 PM – 6:33 PM
Solar noonDaytime64.2° · 181° S
Light windows
Fri, Aug 28 · Asia · TokyoMorning
- Golden hour
- 4:55 AM – 5:45 AM50 min of warm light
- Blue hour
- 4:45 AM – 4:55 AM10 min of deep blue twilight
Evening
- Golden hour
- 5:43 PM – 6:33 PM50 min of warm light
- Blue hour
- 6:33 PM – 6:43 PM10 min of deep blue twilight
- Sunrise
- 5:11 AM
- Sunset
- 6:17 PM
- Day length
- 13 hr 6 min
- Solar noon
- 11:44 AM
Where to point the camera
Solar path and bearing
On this selected date, the sun reaches 64° at its highest point and the evening light approaches from 283° WNW.
Pick the month before the day
Light through 2026 in Tokyo
The sampled golden window in Tokyo is not one number — it spans 49 min (March) to 57 min (December) over the year. The 58° seasonal walk of the sunset point (242° WSW in December, 300° WNW in June) matters more than the clock time for framing. Day length spans 9 hr 46 min in December to 14 hr 33 min in June.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | Golden window sample | Sunset bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:51 AM | 4:51 PM | 10 hr | 4:13 PM · 56 min | 244° WSW |
| February | 6:30 AM | 5:23 PM | 10 hr 53 min | 4:48 PM · 51 min | 255° WSW |
| March | 5:54 AM | 5:49 PM | 11 hr 55 min | 5:15 PM · 49 min | 268° W |
| April | 5:10 AM | 6:14 PM | 13 hr 4 min | 5:40 PM · 50 min | 283° WNW |
| May | 4:38 AM | 6:39 PM | 14 hr 2 min | 6:03 PM · 53 min | 294° WNW |
| June | 4:26 AM | 6:59 PM | 14 hr 33 min | 6:21 PM · 56 min | 300° WNW |
| July | 4:37 AM | 6:59 PM | 14 hr 21 min | 6:21 PM · 55 min | 298° WNW |
| August | 5:01 AM | 6:33 PM | 13 hr 32 min | 5:58 PM · 52 min | 288° WNW |
| September | 5:24 AM | 5:51 PM | 12 hr 27 min | 5:18 PM · 49 min | 275° W |
| October | 5:48 AM | 5:08 PM | 11 hr 20 min | 4:34 PM · 50 min | 260° W |
| November | 6:17 AM | 4:36 PM | 10 hr 19 min | 3:59 PM · 54 min | 248° WSW |
| December | 6:44 AM | 4:30 PM | 9 hr 46 min | 3:51 PM · 57 min | 242° WSW |
Find the months when sunset faces your spot
Pick the direction your subject faces the sky. Months whose sunset lands within ±10° light up in the table above. Disabled shortcuts have no matching row in this visible mid-month sample.
Each row samples the 15th of the month at these coordinates, so dates near a month boundary can differ from the printed row — around here day length moves up to ~2 min per day in the fastest season. Clock times follow Asia · Tokyo, including any daylight-saving change.
Full light and twilight schedule
Midnight to midnight
| Phase | Time |
|---|---|
| Astronomical dawn | 3:41 AM |
| Nautical dawn | 4:13 AM |
| Blue hour (morning) | 4:45 AM |
| Golden hour (morning) | 4:55 AM |
| Sunrise | 5:11 AM |
| Solar noon | 11:44 AM |
| Sunset | 6:17 PM |
| Golden hour (evening) | 5:43 PM |
| Blue hour (evening) | 6:33 PM |
| Nautical dusk | 7:14 PM |
| Astronomical dusk | 7:47 PM |
Seven local days in Tokyo
The week ahead
| Date | Morning golden | Sunrise | Sunset | Evening golden |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Aug 28 | 4:55 AM – 5:45 AM | 5:11 AM | 6:17 PM | 5:43 PM – 6:33 PM |
| Sat, Aug 29 | 4:56 AM – 5:46 AM | 5:12 AM | 6:16 PM | 5:41 PM – 6:32 PM |
| Sun, Aug 30 | 4:56 AM – 5:46 AM | 5:12 AM | 6:14 PM | 5:40 PM – 6:30 PM |
| Mon, Aug 31 | 4:57 AM – 5:47 AM | 5:13 AM | 6:13 PM | 5:39 PM – 6:29 PM |
| Tue, Sep 1 | 4:58 AM – 5:48 AM | 5:14 AM | 6:11 PM | 5:37 PM – 6:27 PM |
| Wed, Sep 2 | 4:59 AM – 5:49 AM | 5:15 AM | 6:10 PM | 5:36 PM – 6:26 PM |
| Thu, Sep 3 | 4:59 AM – 5:49 AM | 5:15 AM | 6:09 PM | 5:35 PM – 6:25 PM |
Moon and candidate vantage points
Context to verify
Moon on the selected date
The moon over Tokyo is a Full Moon, 100% lit. Treat this as lighting context, not a visibility forecast.
Candidate vantage points
They are map-search starting points, not ranked recommendations; current access, closures, permits, safety, and unobstructed views have not been verified. The selected-date sunset bearing is 283° WNW; if a composition faces elsewhere, use the bearing planner in the month table above to find sampled months that align. This mathematical bearing is a planning aid and does not prove visibility.
Plan and calculation notes
Assumptions and limits
Plan this specific light
In Tokyo, the evening golden hour window runs 50 min on the selected date and approaches from 283° WNW. Arrive 15 minutes before its start when that window occurs, then choose a position with an open view toward that bearing. Don't rely on the generic “one hour before sunset” rule here — the real window shifts with the season, so check the computed times for your date.
See the calculation method and limits before relying on the estimate in terrain-sensitive or safety-critical conditions.
Common questions
Golden hour FAQ for Tokyo
- When is golden hour in Tokyo?
- Start with the sun angle in Tokyo: +6° to −4°. The morning crossing carries sunrise and the later crossing carries sunset, while the representative monthly span is 49 minutes in March and 57 minutes in December. The selected-date light panel translates that geometry into local clock times.
- Which direction does the sun set in Tokyo?
- In Tokyo it depends on the month: 242° WSW in December, moving to 300° WNW by June — a 58° annual swing. Use the sun-path panel above to read the exact bearing for your shoot date.
- How much does day length change in Tokyo?
- Enough to reshape a shoot plan in Tokyo: 9 hr 46 min of daylight in December versus 14 hr 33 min in June. See the table above for the month you're planning.
- Does Tokyo get blue hour right after golden hour?
- Yes — they are adjacent bands of the same descent: golden hour spans +6° to −4° of solar altitude and blue hour continues from −4° to −6°. In Tokyo, the representative December golden window lasts 57 min; on ordinary dates evening blue begins when its evening side ends, while polar dates can merge or wrap overnight. The light-windows panel above computes both for any date.