Seasonal Guide to Sunrise, Sunset, and Daylight in Yokohama

Yokohama, Japan, follows Japan Standard Time (JST), which is UTC+9 year-round with no daylight saving. This stable time zone means sunrise and sunset shift gradually through the year, creating dISTinct seasonal daylight patterns. For visitors or photographers planning shoots, knowing the exact timing of golden hour and twilight windows is essential. Below, we break down each season in Yokohama, compare day lengths with San Francisco, and explain how JST interacts with apparent solar time.

Understanding Yokohama's time zone (JST) helps you anticipate when the sun will rise and set relative to your clock. Unlike San Francisco, which experiences daylight saving time, JST remains constant, making seasonal transitions more predictable. For details on why Yokohama doesn’t change clocks, see our Daylight Saving Time page. The difference between Yokohama and San Francisco time is typically 16 or 17 hours depending on DST; check our time difference guide.

Spring (March – May)

Spring in Yokohama brings warming temperatures and rapidly lengthening days. Around the March equinox (March 20), day and night are nearly equal. By May, days stretch to over 14 hours. The golden hour in spring occurs about 1 hour after sunrise and 1 hour before sunset, with soft, warm light perfect for photography of cherry blossoms and temples.

Compare with San Francisco: on May 31, San Francisco’s day length is about 14h 26m, slightly longer due to higher latitude. Yokohama’s lower latitude (35.4°N vs 37.8°N) gives it a more moderate variation.

Summer (June – August)

Summer solstice around June 21 brings the longest day — nearly 14 hours 38 minutes of daylight. The sun rises as early as 04:26 and sets after 19:00. This is the best time for golden hour shooting, especially at Minato Mirai waterfront. However, the high humidity and frequent typhoons can affect visibility. The evening twilight lingers, with civil twilight lasting until almost 19:45.

In contrast, San Francisco’s longest day is 14h 47m, about 9 minutes longer, but the difference is modest. Yokohama’s consistent JST offset means that solar noon (when the sun is highest) occurs around 11:45 – 11:50 local time, indicating that JST is about 10–15 minutes ahead of apparent solar time at Yokohama’s longitude (139.6°E).

Fall (September – November)

Fall equinox around September 23 again brings equal day and night. Days shorten dramatically, losing nearly 3 hours of daylight from September to November. Autumn in Yokohama features clear skies and vibrant foliage (koyo), making golden hour particularly stunning. The lower sun angle also produces longer shadows. The short day length in late November means sunset before 16:30.

San Francisco’s shortest day is about 9h 32m, very similar to Yokohama’s 9h 39m. The main difference is the seasonal timing: San Francisco’s DST shifts the clock, but the actual daylight duration is comparable.

Winter (December – February)

Winter solstice around December 22 marks the shortest day — only 9 hours 37 minutes of daylight. Sunrise after 06:45 and sunset before 16:30. The low sun angle means midday sun stays low on the horizon, creating long shadows and a constant golden-hour-like quality, though the actual golden hour is still defined as the first and last hour of daylight. Photographers often prefer this season for cityscape shots with dramatic light.

Winter in Yokohama feels bright because of clear skies, but the short days can catch visitors off guard. If you’re planning meetings or trips, check our Business Hours guide to align with local schedules. For quick answers, also see the Yokohama Time FAQ.

Understanding the interaction between JST and apparent solar time is straightforward: Yokohama’s longitude (139.6°E) places it about 10–15 minutes ahead of the mean solar time of its time zone center (135°E), so solar noon occurs around 11:45 local time. This slight offset means that sunrise and sunset occur a bit earlier on the clock than the time zone would suggest — e.g., the earliest sunrise (04:26) happens in mid-June, a few days before the solstice. For more context on JST and its history, revisit our Time Zone page.

Whether you’re chasing the perfect sunset at Motomachi or planning a morning shoot of Mount Fuji from the bay, this seasonal table provides the data you need. Bookmark our homepage for the live clock and current time in Yokohama.