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Islamic Prayer Is Five Times a Day: Prayer Times from Fajr to Isha, and the Direction and Places to Pray in Japan

Published: October 16, 2026 / Last updated: October 24, 2026

Category: For visitors

Islamic prayer is five times a day, with times set by the sun

Islamic ritual prayer, or salat, takes place five times a day: before dawn, at midday, in the afternoon, at sunset, and at night. According to the Japan Tourism Agency’s “Hospitality Guide for Vegetarian, Vegan, and Muslim Travelers” (called the agency’s guide below), each prayer takes about five minutes. Prayer times follow the sun’s movement, including sunrise and sunset, so clock times change a little each day and also differ by location.

Each of the five prayers has an Arabic name. Here are their names alongside the times published by Tokyo Camii, a mosque in Tokyo, for October 14, 2026.

PrayerTime of dayTokyo Camii timetable (October 14, 2026)
Fajr (also called Subh)Dawn04:22
DhuhrNoon11:33
AsrAfternoon14:44
MaghribSunset17:15
IshaNight18:28

The names and times of day come from the “Islam” entry in Heibonsha’s World Encyclopedia (old edition) (secondary source). The same timetable also lists sunrise, which was 05:40 that day. Sunrise is not a prayer time: dawn prayer takes place before sunrise.

Shogakukan’s Encyclopedia Nipponica describes salat as one of Muslims’ five main obligations and distinguishes it from du’a, personal prayer in which individuals express their wishes to God (secondary source). In Japanese, salat is sometimes called “prayer” (お祈り), but the five daily prayers are rituals with set numbers and procedures. The same encyclopedia says the number, procedures, and order of prayers are specified in detail based on the Prophet Muhammad’s example, the Sunnah. According to World Encyclopedia, voluntary prayers are also encouraged in addition to the five obligatory prayers (both are secondary sources).

We checked this article’s information against published materials from the Japan Tourism Agency, Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Sakai City, and Tokyo Camii on October 14, 2026.

Prayer times change daily; sunset prayer differs by two and a half hours between summer and winter

Because prayers follow the sun, their times shift even within a month. We took the dawn and sunset prayer times from Tokyo Camii’s timetables.

DateDawn prayer (Fajr)Sunset prayer (Maghrib)
December 21, 202405:1616:39
October 1, 202604:1117:34
October 14, 202604:2217:15
October 31, 202604:3616:55

In October alone, sunset prayer becomes 39 minutes earlier and dawn prayer 25 minutes later. The changes are greater across a year. According to the Ephemeris Computation Office at the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), sunset in Tokyo in 2026 is at 19:00 on June 21 and 16:32 on December 22. Sunset prayer follows sunset, giving a difference of about two and a half hours between summer and winter. The same applies to dawn prayer. Tokyo’s sunrise on June 21 is at 04:25, so dawn prayer is earlier, while it is still dark. In winter, by contrast, dawn prayer on December 21, 2024, was at 05:16.

Timetables do not give exactly the same times as the observatory. For October 14, NAOJ calculates sunset in Tokyo at 17:08, while Tokyo Camii’s timetable gives Maghrib at 17:15. Even on Tokyo Camii’s own website, the homepage showed Asr at 15:28 and Maghrib at 17:08 for October 14, differing from the monthly timetable’s 14:44 and 17:15. Depending on where you look, differences can range from a few minutes to tens of minutes. Location also matters. Sakai City’s materials explain that prayer times depend on sunrise and sunset at that location. You cannot use Tokyo’s timetable unchanged in other regions.

If a colleague or someone visiting your home prays, the quickest approach is to ask which mosque’s or app’s times they follow. JNTO’s page for Muslim travelers links to IslamicFinder as an external site for checking prayer times, under “Salat Times.”

Each prayer takes about five minutes, with washing first and a set sequence of movements

According to the agency’s guide, people wash parts of the body such as hands and feet with water before prayer, in ablution (wudu). Sakai City’s materials also describe purifying the body and mind, facing Mecca, and praying while reciting set words. Prayer must take place somewhere clean, and places such as toilets are prohibited.

Encyclopedia Nipponica describes the movements as follows: after purification, stand facing Mecca, praise God, recite the opening chapter of the Quran, bow deeply with hands on knees, raise the head and both hands, and then kneel and prostrate twice (secondary source). According to the agency’s guide, a prayer mat is commonly used because the forehead touches the floor during prayer.

The agency’s guide says men and women pray separately unless they are a married couple or family, and that women commonly wear prayer clothing called a mukena.

Prayer while traveling is not always the same as usual. Materials Sakai City prepared for homestay hosts say some people reduce the number of prayers while traveling or pray in a shortened form lasting about five minutes. Some also simplify washing while traveling, for example by washing only their hands. Sakai City emphasizes responding to each individual, since Islamic teachings and practices differ greatly by school, country, region, culture, and person.

The direction is toward the Kaaba in Mecca: west-northwest from Tokyo

Prayer is performed facing the Kaaba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, also written Makkah to reflect the Arabic pronunciation more closely. This direction is called the qibla. The agency’s guide describes a qibla sign as an arrow pointing toward the Kaaba. According to JNTO, some prayer rooms in Japan have qibla signs. The agency’s guide says qibla signs and prayer time information are also appreciated in spaces temporarily lent by restaurants or other businesses.

Mecca is south of Tokyo, but its direction from Tokyo is west-northwest. Halal Gohan calculated the shortest route along the Earth’s surface, a great circle, using NAOJ’s calculation point for Tokyo (35.66°N, 139.74°E) and the approximate location of the Kaaba (21.42°N, 39.83°E). The result was about 293 degrees clockwise from north, over a distance of about 9,500 kilometers. Connecting the two points with a straight line on a flat map makes the direction look almost due west, slightly to the south. The map direction and the shortest-route direction differ by about 30 degrees, so a qibla website or app is more reliable than judging from a map.

A smartphone is a convenient way to check the actual direction. JNTO’s page lists “Qibla Finder” as an external site for finding the qibla from your current location.

Congregational prayer at mosques on Friday around midday

People can pray alone. Encyclopedia Nipponica says homes and workplaces are acceptable but that praying in a group at a mosque is considered preferable to praying alone. On Fridays around noon in particular, people gather at mosques for congregational prayer (secondary source).

Tokyo Camii’s timetable separately lists the times when congregational prayer begins at the mosque. The notes in its October 2026 timetable say the following.

PrayerStart time at Tokyo Camii (October 2026)
Dawn prayer45 minutes before sunrise
Midday prayer12:00
Friday prayer12:30
Afternoon prayer on weekends and public holidays15:30
Afternoon, sunset, and night prayersBegin after the adhan, the call to prayer, at each prayer’s time

The timetable’s English note explains the adhan as the “call to worship,” or call to prayer. At the mosque, congregational prayer begins after the adhan announces the prayer time.

The homepage says the Friday adhan is at 12:30 and prayer at 13:00. Alongside Gregorian dates, the timetable gives dates in the Islamic, or Hijri, calendar. October 2026 spans its fourth month, Rabi al-Akhir, and fifth month, Jumada al-Awwal, in 1448. Start times change with the season. In the December 2024 timetable, Friday prayer was at 12:45 and afternoon prayer on weekends and public holidays at 15:00.

Congregational prayer start times at a mosque are different from the prayer times listed in the timetable. For October 14, 2026, the timetable gives midday prayer at 11:33, but midday prayer at Tokyo Camii begins at 12:00. If you want to pray at a mosque, check its announced start times separately from the timetable’s prayer times.

Places to pray in Japan: mosques, prayer rooms, homes, and accommodation

According to the agency’s guide, places used for prayer include mosques, prayer rooms (musalla), and private spaces such as hotels or one’s own room. People use a mosque or prayer room if one is available, or a hotel or similar place if none is nearby. The guide says prayer rooms are often provided in large public facilities such as airports. For restaurants and shops, it reports Muslims asking to use a vacant area or room temporarily.

JNTO says prayer rooms are available across Japan, with some providing wudu facilities, prayer mats, and qibla signs. It also asks visitors to check each facility’s website before going because opening hours differ. The same page links to prayer room information for New Chitose, Sendai, Narita, Haneda, Chubu Centrair, Kansai, Fukuoka, Kagoshima, and Naha airports. For our research on airport and station prayer rooms, see Where Are the Prayer Rooms at Airports and Stations? Official Information for Narita, Haneda, Kansai, Tokyo Station, and Osaka Station. For tourist spots and shopping facilities, see Tourist Spots and Shopping Facilities Where You Can Pray in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka: Prayer Room Locations and How to Use Them.

Prayer room opening hours do not always fit prayer times. In winter, sunset prayer falls between 16:00 and 17:00, so some days a room that closes in the evening can still be used. Tokyo Camii’s timetable gives night prayer at 17:58 on December 21, 2024, and between 18:00 and 19:00 in October 2026. Some days, rooms that close in the evening are unavailable by the time of night prayer.

The agency’s guide considers demand for prayer arrangements at accommodation relatively low because many Muslim travelers bring the information and tools they need or look things up on their smartphones. Some travelers nevertheless say a qibla sign in the guest room or a mat available to borrow makes them feel welcome.

Three preparations at work, school, or when hosting someone at home

If you spend time with Muslim colleagues, international students, or homestay students, knowing these three things makes preparation easier.

First, the times. Here is a comparison of one autumn day and one winter day from Tokyo Camii’s timetables.

PrayerOctober 14, 2026December 21, 2024
Dawn (Fajr)04:2205:16
Noon (Dhuhr)11:3311:45
Afternoon (Asr)14:4414:18
Sunset (Maghrib)17:1516:39
Night (Isha)18:2817:58

On both days, midday and afternoon prayers fall during work or class hours. In winter, sunset prayer is between 16:00 and 17:00, and night prayer comes before 18:00. Prayer itself takes about five minutes, but washing and getting to the place require a little longer. Some people also go to a mosque on Friday around midday.

Second, the place. Sakai City’s materials call for a quiet place where people can concentrate on prayer. As the agency’s guide says, prayer must take place somewhere clean, never in places such as toilets. One option is to make a meeting room or vacant room available at agreed times.

Third, a place to wash. Sakai City’s materials say guests may ask to use a homestay host’s shower or sink to wash their hands and feet before prayer. At work or school, showing them a washroom where washing feet will not cause problems makes it easier for them to choose where to wash. The agency’s guide recommends having a mop or similar item ready, since washing feet may leave the washroom wet.

For ways to provide a prayer space at a business, see How to Offer a Prayer Space at Your Place: What Even a Small Place Can Do, and What You Don’t Need to Force. For spending the fasting month in Japan, see When Does Ramadan 2027 Start? Fasting Hours, the Rules, and What to Know When Spending Ramadan in Japan.

Practices differ from person to person. Before preparing, ask the person what they need in terms of times, places, and washing.

Quotes from Japanese sources in this article are our own translations.

Sources

Primary sources

Secondary sources (cited in the article and identified as such)

  • Kotobank, “Salat” (サラート) (in Japanese) (Shogakukan’s Encyclopedia Nipponica [日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)] and the “Islam” [イスラム] entry in Heibonsha’s World Encyclopedia [old edition] [世界大百科事典（旧版）]), checked on October 14, 2026
    https://kotobank.jp/word/%E3%81%95%E3%82%89%E3%83%BC%E3%81%A8-3153213

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