When Does the Nikkei Open in EST? Tokyo Stock Exchange Hours in Eastern Time
The short answer: the Tokyo Stock Exchange, where the Nikkei 225 stocks trade, opens at 9:00 a.m. Japan Standard Time. That is 8:00 PM EDT through October 31, 2026, and 7:00 PM EST from November 1, 2026, on the US evening before the Japanese trading day.
Tokyo Stock Exchange hours in Eastern Time
Japan Standard Time (JST) is UTC+9 all year.
| Session | Japan time (JST) | In EDT (summer) | In EST (winter) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morning session | 9:00–11:30 a.m. | 8:00–10:30 PM | 7:00–9:30 PM |
| Lunch break | 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. | 10:30–11:30 PM | 9:30–10:30 PM |
| Afternoon session | 12:30–3:30 p.m. | 11:30 PM–2:30 AM | 10:30 PM–1:30 AM |
| Closing auction | 3:25–3:30 p.m. | 2:25–2:30 AM | 1:25–1:30 AM |
EDT applies from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November. EST applies the rest of the year. In 2026, US clocks fall back on Sunday, November 1.
The lunch break
Unlike US exchanges, Tokyo stops trading for an hour in the middle of the day. Orders can still be entered during the break, but no trades are matched until the afternoon session opens.
The 3:30 p.m. close
On November 5, 2024, the exchange extended the afternoon session by 30 minutes, moving the close from 3:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Japan time. It also introduced a closing auction in the final five minutes. Older guides that list a 3:00 p.m. close are out of date.
Nikkei 225 and TOPIX
The Nikkei 225 is a price-weighted index of 225 large Japanese companies, published by Nikkei Inc. TOPIX is a broader, market-value-weighted index published by the exchange group. Both are calculated during the Tokyo trading session.
Nikkei 225 futures also trade on the Osaka Exchange and other venues outside regular stock hours, including overnight in Japan. Those prices can move while the cash market is closed.
Holidays
The exchange closes on Japanese national holidays and from December 31 through January 3. It is also closed for most of Golden Week in late April and early May, on the dates that are public holidays.
Following Japanese stocks from the US
US-listed funds such as the iShares MSCI Japan ETF (EWJ) trade during New York hours. They react to news while Tokyo is closed, so their moves may not match the next Nikkei session.
For more markets, see our World stock market hours in Eastern Time guide.
Published October 19, 2026. Times reflect Japan Exchange Group's published trading hours as of that date. Educational information only, not investment advice.