Time Difference Between United States and Japan

What time is it in the United States and Japan and how is it determined? Before that, let’s just get into the fact of the time difference between Japan and the US. So, Japan is among the easternmost of the earth, and on the other hand, the US is among the westernmost country and this is the reason why there’s a huge time difference of 13 hours between both the countries. It means that Japan’s capital Tokyo is 13 hours ahead of the US capital Washington DC. From the perspective of the longitudinal difference between the US and Japan, the location of the US is at -77.04, while Japan stands at 139.77. Also, there are over six time zones in the US and Japan has only one that is in the capital of the country, Tokyo.

Why Different Time Zones on Earth?

Simply, the earth’s rotation is the major reason why each country follows different time zones. It rotates on its axis, which is tilted, making an angle of 23.5 normal and 66.5-degree orbital plane. Earth does not only rotates on its own axis but also simultaneously rotates around the Sun as well. Also, the earth rotates from the West to the East, resulting in the time difference between them both. Apparently, the earth completes its rotation on its own axis in 24 hours and finishes the rotation around the sun within 365 days (a year). At a time, only one side of the earth faces the sun resulting in the day while the other side stays dark, and those parts of the earth witness night at that point in time.

The above-mentioned scenario results in sunlight falling on different parts of the earth at different times – and this is the reason why the countries need different time zones. Earth completes the angle of 360 degrees in 24 hours on its own axis and using the information, the earth has been divided into 24 time zones. In addition, each time zone is 15 degrees of longitude wide. The imaginary line which crosses from Greenwich to London is the ‘prime meridian’. The time at Greenwich is called ‘Greenwich Mean Time’. Earth rotates 1 degree in 4 minutes and 15 degrees in 1 hour. So, as we move west from Greenwich, every time zone is 1 hour earlier than GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) and if we have eastward we are ahead of GMT.

Overview of Both the Countries

United States – Also known as America, the United States is the 3rd most populated country in the world and it is ranked fourth in terms of area. The country is bordered by the Pacific Ocean in the west and the Atlantic ocean in the east. In addition, the US shares its northern border with Canada and the southern one with Mexico. Geographically, the area of the USA is 9.834 million sq. km. It is divided into 50 states and its capital is Washington DC. Apart from the mainland, the USA owns many Islands such as Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands in the Caribbean Sea, and American Samoa in the south pacific ocean. The latitudinal extent of the USA is 37.09 degrees North and the longitudinal extent is 95.71 degrees west.

Japan – Prone to frequent earthquakes, Japan is the easternmost Island country in the continent which is an archipelago of 6852 islands in the pacific ocean. Kyunshu, Honshu, Hokkaido, Shikoku and Okinawa are the main Islands of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of the technology-loving nation. The overall area of the country is 377975 sq. km. The latitudinal and longitudinal extent of Japan is 36.20 degrees North and 138.25 degrees North and 138.25 East respect.

Cultural and Diplomatic Differences Between US and Japan

Apart from the time difference, Japan and America have cultural differences also. The main difference in Japanese culture is based on collectivism while Americans are Individualistic. Japanese gender role is strict but it hardly matters in American culture. Japanese gives great importance to their ancestor’s legacy, but the people of the US are more futuristic and development-oriented.

In terms of government, Japan follows the unliterary structure and the US has the federal structure of government.