Best meeting time: Chicago & Tokyo
Recommended slots for a cross-timezone call between Chicago (United States) and Tokyo (Japan). Times update live and account for Daylight Saving automatically.
United States
Chicago
10:00 PM
UTC-05:00 · CDT
Japan
Tokyo
12:00 PM
UTC+09:00 · GMT+9
Recommended windows
Best available overlap
- Chicago
- 7:00 PM
- Tokyo
- 9:00 AM
One side is in core business hours, the other is in early or late working hours — workable for most teams.
Morning in Chicago
- Chicago
- 8:00 AM
- Tokyo
- 10:00 PM
Great for a focused morning standup on the Chicago side.
Afternoon in Tokyo
- Chicago
- 11:00 PM
- Tokyo
- 1:00 PM
Works when Tokyo prefers post-lunch slots and Chicago can take an early or late call.
Advice
Best overlap: 7:00 PM–7:00 PM Chicago time (1/2 zones in business hours).
24-hour overlap
Green = both cities in business hours. Amber = one in evening. Grey = at least one asleep.
| UTC | Chicago | Tokyo | Suitability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00:00 | 7:00 PM | 9:00 AM | Workable — one evening |
| 01:00 | 8:00 PM | 10:00 AM | Workable — one evening |
| 02:00 | 9:00 PM | 11:00 AM | Workable — one evening |
| 03:00 | 10:00 PM | 12:00 PM | Limited — one asleep |
| 04:00 | 11:00 PM | 1:00 PM | Limited — one asleep |
| 05:00 | 12:00 AM | 2:00 PM | Limited — one asleep |
| 06:00 | 1:00 AM | 3:00 PM | Limited — one asleep |
| 07:00 | 2:00 AM | 4:00 PM | Limited — one asleep |
| 08:00 | 3:00 AM | 5:00 PM | Poor — both off-hours |
| 09:00 | 4:00 AM | 6:00 PM | Poor — both off-hours |
| 10:00 | 5:00 AM | 7:00 PM | Poor — both off-hours |
| 11:00 | 6:00 AM | 8:00 PM | Poor — both off-hours |
| 12:00 | 7:00 AM | 9:00 PM | Poor — both off-hours |
| 13:00 | 8:00 AM | 10:00 PM | Poor — both off-hours |
| 14:00 | 9:00 AM | 11:00 PM | Limited — one asleep |
| 15:00 | 10:00 AM | 12:00 AM | Limited — one asleep |
| 16:00 | 11:00 AM | 1:00 AM | Limited — one asleep |
| 17:00 | 12:00 PM | 2:00 AM | Limited — one asleep |
| 18:00 | 1:00 PM | 3:00 AM | Limited — one asleep |
| 19:00 | 2:00 PM | 4:00 AM | Limited — one asleep |
| 20:00 | 3:00 PM | 5:00 AM | Limited — one asleep |
| 21:00 | 4:00 PM | 6:00 AM | Limited — one asleep |
| 22:00 | 5:00 PM | 7:00 AM | Poor — both off-hours |
| 23:00 | 6:00 PM | 8:00 AM | Poor — both off-hours |
About
Working across 14 hours of time difference
With 14 hours between Chicago and Tokyo, there is essentially no overlap during normal business hours. One side will always be early-morning or late-evening. Async-first collaboration is the realistic default. Reserve live calls for genuinely high-bandwidth conversations and rotate who absorbs the inconvenience week-to-week.
Daylight Saving Time can shift the gap by an hour twice a year. The North American DST window does not align with the European one, so the offset between Chicago and Tokyo can drift in late March and again in early November. Use this page to re-check your standing meeting on each transition.
FAQ
What's the best time for a meeting between Chicago and Tokyo?
Best overlap: 7:00 PM–7:00 PM Chicago time (1/2 zones in business hours). The strongest business-hour overlap is UTC 0:00–1:00, which is Chicago 7:00 PM–7:00 PM and Tokyo 9:00 AM–9:00 AM locally.
What is the time difference between Chicago and Tokyo?
Chicago is currently UTC-05:00 and Tokyo is UTC+09:00, a difference of 14 hours. The exact gap can shift by one hour when one city switches to or from Daylight Saving Time.
Should we shift the meeting if one city changes Daylight Saving Time?
Yes — when only one of the two cities observes DST, the overlap window moves by an hour. Re-check this page in the weeks around March/April and October/November and adjust your standing meeting accordingly. The 24-hour grid below always reflects the current correct offset.
Can I schedule a daily standup that works for both Chicago and Tokyo?
Probably not as a daily — the offset is too large for both sides to stay in standard hours. Consider an asynchronous standup (written updates) and reserving live meetings for weekly or fortnightly cadence.