Jet lag plan
Sydney is 1 hour ahead of Tokyo. You're traveling east — the harder direction. Your body must advance its clock.
About 7,826 km due south · approximately 10-hour non-stop flight · an ultra-long-haul flight.
The route from Tokyo, Japan to Sydney, Australia covers roughly 7,826 kilometres in a due south direction. At standard jet cruise speed plus a one-hour allowance for taxi, climb, and descent, a non-stop flight takes about 10 hours. This route crosses the equator. The destination's season is reversed relative to the origin, which can amplify the perceived disorientation of jet lag — your body lands not just in a different clock but in a different daylight regime.
Tokyo is in the temperate zone. Day length varies by four to six hours between summer and winter, so the season of your trip materially affects available morning and evening light. Sydney is in the subtropics. Day length varies by roughly two hours between summer and winter; light remains a reliable circadian cue most of the year.
Standard 09:00–18:00 working hours at both ends of this route overlap by approximately 8 hours. In Tokyo that window runs 09:00 to 17:00; in Sydney it is 10:00 to 18:00. This is the realistic window for live meetings, customer calls, or pair work without forcing either end out of normal hours.
Only one of the two cities observes daylight saving time, so the offset between them shifts by one hour twice a year. If you have recurring meetings on this route, double-check the local time around the DST transitions (March and October/November in the northern hemisphere).
If you are a lark (morning type): Larks recover faster on eastward routes because their circadian phase is already advanced relative to the population. Plan to be in bed one hour earlier than your usual time for two or three nights before departure, and seek bright light immediately on waking at the destination. Most larks adjust to a 1-hour eastward shift in 2 days.
If you are a night owl (evening type): Owls struggle with eastward travel. Your biology resists advancing; a 1-hour eastward shift will typically take 3 days to clear, with the worst days being day two and three. Pre-trip phase advance (going to bed 30–60 minutes earlier per day for 1 days) and morning bright light at the destination are the highest-evidence interventions.
Not sure of your chronotype? Take the 10-question quiz.
The great-circle distance from Tokyo to Sydney is about 7,826 kilometres. A typical non-stop flight takes around 10 hours at standard cruise speed; routes with connections add two to four hours.
Sydney is currently 1 hour ahead of Tokyo. Only one of the two cities observes daylight saving time, so the offset between them shifts by one hour twice a year. If you have recurring meetings on this route, double-check the local time around the DST transitions (March and October/November in the northern hemisphere).
Eastward travel — which this route is — is the harder direction for most travellers. Your body must advance its clock, and the population shifts about one hour per day under good conditions. Expect 2 days to fully clear a 1-hour eastward shift.
For a shift of 1 hour, melatonin offers little benefit beyond what consistent light exposure already provides. The Cochrane review on jet-lag melatonin shows the strongest effects on shifts of five hours or more.
For a shift under two hours, pre-trip adjustment is usually not worth the effort.
Larks (morning types) recover faster on eastward routes because their circadian phase is already advanced relative to the population. Owls (evening types) typically need an extra day or two.