In Japan, the night doesn’t end at 24:00!!

KaneJA Culture, News, Travel

If you’re traveling in Japan and spot a train schedule listing a departure at 26:00, don’t worry – you haven’t entered a time warp. Japan sometimes uses a 30-hour clock format, especially in industries like broadcasting, nightlife, and transport.

Instead of ending the day at 24:00 (midnight), the time continues up to 29:59 (5:59 AM). This system helps locals think of late-night events – like a 2 AM TV show or a 1:30 AM karaoke session – as still belonging to the “same day.”

This time logic is common in cities like Tokyo and Osaka, where entertainment and public services run deep into the night. The approach prevents confusion in scheduling and makes planning late-night activities much easier.

While the 30-hour system isn’t used in formal documents or digital systems like phones or calendars, you’ll often see it on TV guides, train posters, event listings, and more.

So next time you’re in Japan and your karaoke session ends at “27:00,” now you know: it’s perfectly normal.

Travel smarter. Time in Japan is flexible — just like its culture.