Japan · Asia

Longest and shortest day in Sapporo

In Sapporo, Japan, the longest day of 2026 is around the June solstice on Sunday, 21 June 2026, with 15h 22m of daylight, and the shortest is around the December solstice on Monday, 21 December 2026, with 9h 0m.

Sapporo sunrise, sunset and day length on the 2026 solstices and equinoxes, in local time
Turning pointDateSunriseSunsetDay length
March equinoxFriday, 20 March 202605:3817:4612h 8m
June solsticeSunday, 21 June 202603:5519:1715h 22m
September equinoxTuesday, 22 September 202605:2117:3212h 12m
December solsticeMonday, 21 December 202607:0216:029h 0m
Sapporo day length month by month (around the 15th)
MonthSunriseSunsetDay length
January07:0316:249h 21m
February06:3317:0410h 32m
March05:4817:4011h 52m
April04:5318:1613h 22m
May04:1218:5014h 39m
June03:5419:1515h 21m
July04:0819:1215h 4m
August04:3918:3713h 58m
September05:1317:4512h 32m
October05:4716:5211h 5m
November06:2616:119h 45m
December06:5816:009h 2m

Why the day gets longer and shorter in Sapporo

Earth's axis is tilted about 23.4 degrees, so as the planet orbits the Sun, Sapporo leans toward the Sun for part of the year and away for the rest. When it leans toward the Sun the days lengthen and the Sun climbs higher; half a year later the opposite happens. The size of the swing depends on how far Sapporo sits from the equator: the further away, the bigger the difference between the longest and shortest day.

Frequently asked questions about day length in Sapporo

When is the longest day in Sapporo?

The longest day in Sapporo falls around the June solstice, on Sunday, 21 June 2026 in 2026, with about 15h 22m of daylight, sunrise at 03:55 and sunset at 19:17.

When is the shortest day in Sapporo?

The shortest day in Sapporo falls around the December solstice, on Monday, 21 December 2026 in 2026, with about 9h 0m of daylight, sunrise at 07:02 and sunset at 16:02.

How much does day length change through the year in Sapporo?

Between the longest and shortest day, Sapporo gains and loses about 6h 22m of daylight. The change is fastest around the March and September equinoxes and slowest near the solstices.

Every figure is computed from Sapporo's coordinates with SunCalc, not looked up from a table.

Day length in nearby cities

More light in Sapporo