How much does daylight change through the year in Tokyo?

Tokyo sits at 35.7° north. Its longest day runs 14h 35m and its shortest 9h 44m — a swing of 4h 50m.

What angle should solar panels be in Tokyo?

32° from horizontal, facing south, maximises annual production. That is about 12% more than laying panels flat. If you want to favour winter output, 58° is better; for summer, 3°.

How much power would solar panels produce in Tokyo?

About 1,239 kWh per year for every kW installed, at the optimal angle. A typical 6 kW home system would produce roughly 7,435 kWh a year. May is the strongest month and Dec the weakest.

How high does the sun get in Tokyo?

At the summer solstice the sun reaches 77.8° above the horizon at solar noon. At the winter solstice it only reaches 30.9°. That difference is what drives both the seasons and the ideal panel angle.

Sun times for Tokyo

Tokyo, Japan · 35.68°N 139.65°E — no daylight saving time, which makes summer sunrises strikingly early.

Date

Latitude: 35.6762°
Longitude: 139.6503°
Time zone: Asia/Tokyo

Sunrise

05:09 AM

Sunset

06:14 PM

Solar noon

11:42 AM

Sun at 64.1° above horizon

Day length

13h 05m

−2m 07s vs yesterday

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Photography light

Blue hour (morning): 04:43 AM – 04:53 AM
Golden hour (morning): 05:09 AM – 05:44 AM
Golden hour (evening): 05:40 PM – 06:14 PM
Blue hour (evening): 06:31 PM – 06:41 PM

Twilight

Astronomical dawn: 03:39 AM
Nautical dawn: 04:12 AM
Civil dawn: 04:43 AM
Civil dusk: 06:41 PM
Nautical dusk: 07:12 PM
Astronomical dusk: 07:44 PM

Sun at solar noon: 64.1° elevation, bearing 180° (S). Times assume a flat horizon at sea level.

The year in Tokyo

Longest day: 14h 35m
Shortest day: 9h 44m
Sun's highest point: 77.8°
Sun's lowest noon: 30.9°

Tokyo sunrise and sunset by month

Times for the 15th of each month, local time, adjusted for daylight saving where it applies.

Monthly sunrise and sunset times for Tokyo
Month	Sunrise	Sunset	Daylight
January	06:50	16:50	10h 00m
February	06:28	17:22	10h 54m
March	05:52	17:48	11h 56m
April	05:09	18:14	13h 05m
May	04:36	18:39	14h 02m
June	04:25	18:58	14h 34m
July	04:36	18:57	14h 21m
August	04:59	18:31	13h 32m
September	05:23	17:49	12h 26m
October	05:47	17:06	11h 19m
November	06:16	16:34	10h 18m
December	06:43	16:29	9h 46m

Solar potential in Tokyo

Tokyo receives 3.887 kWh/m² per day on a horizontal surface, averaged over 30 years. Tilting panels to 32° raises annual output by 12%.

System size

A typical home system is 5–10 kW. Roughly 15 panels for 6 kW.

Panel tilt

32° (optimal for the year)

Direction the panels face

S (180°) — ideal for the northern hemisphere

Estimated annual production

7,435 kWh

1,239 kWh per kW installed · 620 kWh a month on average

Monthly production

Best month 702 kWh · worst month 532 kWh · 1.3× swing

Optimal tilt: 32°
Summer tilt: 3°
Winter tilt: 58°
Gain vs flat: +12%

Based on NASA POWER 30-year climate averages for Tokyo and a 78% system performance ratio. Long-term expectation, not a guarantee for any single year. Shading, roof pitch and local rules are not modelled.

Tokyo sun and solar questions

How much does daylight change through the year in Tokyo?: Tokyo sits at 35.7° north. Its longest day runs 14h 35m and its shortest 9h 44m — a swing of 4h 50m.
What angle should solar panels be in Tokyo?: 32° from horizontal, facing south, maximises annual production. That is about 12% more than laying panels flat. If you want to favour winter output, 58° is better; for summer, 3°.
How much power would solar panels produce in Tokyo?: About 1,239 kWh per year for every kW installed, at the optimal angle. A typical 6 kW home system would produce roughly 7,435 kWh a year. May is the strongest month and Dec the weakest.
How high does the sun get in Tokyo?: At the summer solstice the sun reaches 77.8° above the horizon at solar noon. At the winter solstice it only reaches 30.9°. That difference is what drives both the seasons and the ideal panel angle.

Sun times assume a flat horizon at sea level. Solar figures are long-term climate averages and do not account for shading, roof pitch or local regulations. See the methodology.