Jet lag from Tokyo to London
Flying from Tokyo to London is 8 to 9 hours west on the clock, depending on the date. Jetlag Away moves your body clock later, the easier direction, starting in the nights before you fly.
The return from Japan is a large westbound shift, made by moving the clock later. It is the easier direction, but it is still a lot of hours. The plan asks for bright light in the London evening and darkness in the early morning, the reverse of the outbound trip.
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 11:00 Tokyo 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 west | Moves your clock later |
| 28 March – 30 October | 8 hours west | Moves your clock later |
| 31 October – 31 December | 9 hours west | Moves your clock later |
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 west
| Intensity | Before you fly | After landing |
|---|---|---|
| Gentle | 1.5 hours, 3 nights | 5 days |
| Moderate | 2 hours, 4 nights | 4 days |
| Aggressive | 2 hours, 4 nights | 3 days |
9 hours west
| Intensity | Before you fly | After landing |
|---|---|---|
| Gentle | 1.5 hours, 3 nights | 5 days |
| Moderate | 2 hours, 4 nights | 4 days |
| Aggressive | 2 hours, 4 nights | 4 days |
An example plan in July
Leaving Tokyo at 11:00 on 14 July 2027 and landing in London at 17:30 on 14 July, local time. 8 hours west, so the plan moves your clock later. Built at the moderate intensity for someone who usually sleeps 23:30 to 07:00.
The nights before you fly
Tokyo time.
- 4 nights before: bed 00:00, up 07:30 (30 minutes later)
- 3 nights before: bed 00:30, up 08:00 (1 hour later)
- 2 nights before: bed 01:00, up 08:30 (1h 30m later)
- The night before: bed 01:30, up 09:00 (2 hours later)
The day you fly
London time: from the day you fly, the plan runs on your destination's clock.
- No caffeine after 01:00
- Sleep, 03:00–07:00
- Stay awake, 07:00–17:30
After landing
London time.
- Arrival, 14 July: No caffeine after 17:30; Bright light, 18:30–19:30; Avoid bright light, 22:30–23:30; Sleep, 23:30–07:00
- Day 2, 15 July: No caffeine after 17:30; Bright light, 20:15–21:15; Sleep, 23:30–07:00
- Day 3, 16 July: No caffeine after 17:30; Bright light, 22:00–23:00; Sleep, 23:30–07:00
- Day 4, 17 July: No caffeine after 17:30; Bright light, 22:30–23:30; Sleep, 23:30–07:00
Read next
- 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.