Booking From Abroad: Tokyo Time Explained

Most people book a cooking class in Tokyo weeks before they land, sitting at home in a different time zone. That is sensible, but it creates a small risk that is easy to miss: the date and time you choose are in Tokyo, while your phone, calendar and sense of "tomorrow" are still at home.

A wrong slot rarely comes from a broken booking form. It comes from a calendar invite that shifted by a day, a flight that crosses the date line, or a cancellation deadline worked out in the wrong time zone. This guide explains how to avoid those mistakes when you book our classes in Asakusa.

Dates and times on the booking page are Tokyo time

Our classes run in Asakusa, so the booking calendar shows Tokyo dates and Tokyo start times. When you select Saturday at 10:00, you are booking 10:00 on Saturday in Japan, whatever time it is where you are.

The calendar does not convert the session to your local time, and that is intentional: the time you need on the day is the time on a clock in Tokyo. If you are booking from a time zone behind Japan, such as the Americas, the calendar's "today" may already be tomorrow from your point of view, because Tokyo is ahead.

Japan uses Japan Standard Time (UTC+9) all year and does not change its clocks for daylight saving. Many other countries do, so the gap between your home and Tokyo can change by an hour depending on the time of year.

Examples: one Tokyo slot, different home times

Here is how a Saturday 10:00 class in Tokyo looks from a few places in November, when the United States and Europe are on standard time:

Los Angeles (UTC−8): Friday 17:00
New York (UTC−5): Friday 20:00
London (UTC+0): Saturday 01:00
Sydney (UTC+11 in summer): Saturday 12:00

The practical point is that from the Americas, a morning class in Tokyo often falls on the previous evening at home. If you add the session to your calendar by hand, enter it in Tokyo time or set the event's time zone to Tokyo. Otherwise it may appear on the wrong day once you land and your phone switches time zone.

Flights, the date line and your arrival day

If you fly to Japan across the Pacific, you usually land a calendar day later than the date you left, sometimes more than a day after you set off. Travellers often book a class for "the day after I arrive" and count from the departure date by mistake.

Before you pick a date, write down your landing date and time in Tokyo, as shown on your ticket. Then choose a class based on that. Leaving a full night between landing and your class gives you room for a delayed flight, immigration queues and the journey into the city. If you want to fit a class in on arrival or departure day, our guide to visiting with luggage before check-in covers how to plan around bags.

On the day itself, please arrive about 10 minutes before your start time so you can store your belongings, wash your hands and settle in.

The 24-hour deadline is counted in Tokyo time

For a confirmed direct booking, our terms allow free cancellation up to 24 hours before your class, and free rescheduling if you contact us at least 24 hours before the original class time, subject to availability. Always check the terms shown with your own reservation. Within 24 hours, cancellation carries a 100% charge, and no-shows are not refunded.

The 24 hours are counted back from the class start time in Tokyo. For a class at 10:00 on Saturday in Tokyo, the deadline is 10:00 on Friday in Tokyo. From Los Angeles in November, that is 17:00 on Thursday, a full day earlier than many people expect.

A quick way to avoid mistakes is to set a reminder for the deadline itself, in Tokyo time, as soon as you book. Leave a margin rather than aiming for the last minute, especially if several people in your group need to agree. Our guide to cancelling or rescheduling a class explains what to include in your message.

Same-day and last-minute bookings

Same-day booking is possible when places are available, and the calendar shows what can still be booked. Online booking for a signature class session currently closes about an hour before it starts (private classes need more notice), so a slot that is visible in the morning may no longer be available by the afternoon. If you are already in Tokyo, the time on your phone will match the calendar. If you are still at home, check what "today" means in Tokyo first.

Whether to book early or wait depends on your dates and group size; our article on booking in advance or on the same day covers the trade-offs.

Paying from abroad

Payment is taken online when you book, so you do not need yen for the class itself. The amount and currency on your card statement depend on the currency you choose and on your card issuer. Our guide to paying for a class in Tokyo explains currencies, cards and receipts.

Booking for someone else in another country

If you are arranging a class as a gift, or for relatives travelling separately, confirm three things before you pay:

their landing date and time in Tokyo;
that they understand the time in the confirmation is Tokyo time; and
who will handle any change before the 24-hour deadline.

Our guide to booking a class for someone else covers names, contact details and forwarding the confirmation.

A short checklist before you pay

The date matches your Tokyo calendar, not the day you are booking on.
You have your landing date and time in Tokyo, not your departure date.
Your calendar entry is set to Tokyo time.
You have noted the free-change deadline, 24 hours before the class in Tokyo time.
Everyone in your group has the confirmation email.

Ready to choose a time?

Once you have your Tokyo dates fixed, open the Asakusa sushi making class with matcha and check the live calendar. Every slot you see there is a Tokyo time, so the one you choose is the one to remember on the day.