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When does Santa come to Japan?
Santa comes to Japan at midnight on Christmas Eve, local time. That is 15:00 UTC on 24 December.
Santa's diary:
Toys made so far:
Santa's arrival time in Japan
| Clock time | Places | Santa arrives |
|---|---|---|
| UTC+9 | Tokyo | Midnight local time 15:00 UTC on 24 December |
Santa always arrives at the same moment: midnight, when Christmas Eve turns into Christmas Day. He keeps to the night side of the Earth, flying from east to west as each country's clocks reach twelve, so every child is asleep when he lands. On the same stroke of midnight he also visits the Republic of Korea, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Palau and Timor-Leste.
Japan is about 5 hours into his journey. By then the reindeer have already pulled the sleigh past thousands of towns, and Rudolph's nose is glowing at full brightness to light the way through the clouds.
Before Christmas Eve you can visit Santa's village any day of the year. See what he is doing right now, count down the sleeps, write him a letter, and on Christmas Eve watch his sleigh fly over your own town.
Questions
What time does Santa come to Japan?
At midnight local time on Christmas Eve, which is 15:00 UTC on 24 December. Children need to be fast asleep before then.
Is Santa early or late in Japan?
Santa starts his journey in Kiribati, the first place to reach midnight. He reaches Japan about 5 hours later.
Can I watch Santa fly over Japan?
Yes. Open the live map on Christmas Eve: when it turns midnight where you are, his sleigh flies over your town for about 20 minutes, with a glowing trail from the North Pole.
What should we leave out for Santa?
Many families leave a mince pie or cookies and a glass of milk for Santa, and a carrot for the reindeer. Rudolph likes the crunchy ones.