Jet lag from London to Tokyo
Flying from London to Tokyo is 8 to 9 hours east on the clock, depending on the date. Jetlag Away moves your body clock earlier, the harder direction, starting in the nights before you fly.
One of the largest shifts a plan still makes by moving the clock earlier. Japan does not change its clocks, so the gap follows the British calendar alone: an hour smaller in the British summer than in winter. At this size the nights before departure matter, because every hour moved at home is an hour not owed in Tokyo.
The shift through 2027
The difference between the two clocks changes when either country changes its clocks, so the same flight is not the same trip all year. This is the shift for a departure at 19:00 London time, measured at each end at the moment you are there, the way the app measures it.
| Departing | Shift | What the plan does |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January – 27 March | 9 hours east | Moves your clock earlier |
| 28 March – 30 October | 8 hours east | Moves your clock earlier |
| 31 October – 31 December | 9 hours east | Moves your clock earlier |
How long it takes
The plan moves your sleep a little each night before you fly, then sets light, sleep and caffeine on local time until the shift is made. How much it does before departure, and how many days after landing carry light instructions, depend on the intensity you choose. These are the app's figures with its default limits: never woken before 05:00, never kept up after 01:30. They are a schedule, not a promise of how you will feel.
8 hours east
| Intensity | Before you fly | After landing |
|---|---|---|
| Gentle | 1.5 hours, 3 nights | 7 days |
| Moderate | 2 hours, 4 nights | 5 days |
| Aggressive | 2 hours, 4 nights | 4 days |
9 hours east
| Intensity | Before you fly | After landing |
|---|---|---|
| Gentle | 1.5 hours, 3 nights | 8 days |
| Moderate | 2 hours, 4 nights | 6 days |
| Aggressive | 2 hours, 4 nights | 5 days |
An example plan in July
Leaving London at 19:00 on 14 July 2027 and landing in Tokyo at 17:00 on 15 July, local time. 8 hours east, so the plan moves your clock earlier. Built at the moderate intensity for someone who usually sleeps 23:30 to 07:00.
The nights before you fly
London time.
- 4 nights before: bed 23:00, up 06:30 (30 minutes earlier)
- 3 nights before: bed 22:30, up 06:00 (1 hour earlier)
- 2 nights before: bed 22:00, up 05:30 (1h 30m earlier)
- The night before: bed 21:30, up 05:00 (2 hours earlier)
The day you fly
Tokyo time: from the day you fly, the plan runs on your destination's clock.
- No caffeine after 21:00
- Sleep, 03:00–13:00
- Stay awake, 13:00–17:00
After landing
Tokyo time.
- Arrival, 15 July: Bright light, 17:00–18:00; No caffeine after 17:30; Sleep, 23:30–07:00
- Day 2, 16 July: Avoid bright light, 07:00–11:15; Bright light, 11:15–12:15; No caffeine after 17:30; Sleep, 23:30–07:00
- Day 3, 17 July: Avoid bright light, 07:00–10:00; Bright light, 10:00–11:00; No caffeine after 17:30; Sleep, 23:30–07:00
- Day 4, 18 July: Avoid bright light, 07:00–08:45; Bright light, 08:45–09:45; No caffeine after 17:30; Sleep, 23:30–07:00
- Day 5, 19 July: Bright light, 07:30–08:30; No caffeine after 17:30; Sleep, 23:30–07:00
Read next
- When light helps and when it hurts: why the morning after an eastbound flight is the hour to be careful with.
- Why flying east is harder, and what that changes about the plan.
- Short trips: if you fly home within 3 days, the app keeps you on home time instead of adjusting.
- How a plan is built: the rates, the steps and the sources behind every number on this page.
- Jet lag by route: every route with a page like this one.
The figures on this page are computed by the same code the app runs, for 2027, from an example flight. Jetlag Away is a scheduling tool and not medical advice. If you have a sleep or circadian disorder, or any diagnosed condition affected by sleep, talk to a healthcare professional first — see the health disclaimer in our terms.
Last reviewed 10 October 2026. Published 10 October 2026.