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When Does Ramadan 2027 Start? Fasting Hours, the Rules, and What to Know When Spending Ramadan in Japan

Published: October 13, 2026 / Last updated: October 24, 2026

Category: For visitors

Ramadan 2027 is expected around February 8 to March 8

Ramadan 2027 is expected to begin around Monday, February 8, and continue through around Monday, March 8. Eid al-Fitr, the festival marking the end of the fast, is expected around Tuesday, March 9. These dates come from the Kalender Hijriah Global Tunggal, a calendar calculated and published in advance by Muhammadiyah, an Indonesian Islamic organization.

2027 (Muhammadiyah calendar)2026 (Muhammadiyah calendar)2026 (Tokyo Camii announcement)
Start of RamadanMonday, February 8Wednesday, February 18Fasting begins Thursday, February 19
End of RamadanMonday, March 8Thursday, March 19Fasting continues through Thursday, March 19
Festival at the end of the fastTuesday, March 9Friday, March 20Eid prayers on Friday, March 20

In the Islamic calendar, a day begins at sunset. For 2027, this means Ramadan begins at sunset on Sunday, February 7, with fasting itself beginning before dawn on February 8.

Comparing the 2026 columns shows a one-day difference at the start. Muhammadiyah’s calendar placed the first day of Ramadan on February 18, while Tokyo Camii, a mosque in Tokyo, announced fasting from February 19 through March 19. Both gave March 20 as the festival date, and fasting at Tokyo Camii lasted 29 days. Start and end dates can differ between countries and organizations in this way.

If you are spending Ramadan in Japan, check the dates with a mosque in Japan. In 2026, Tokyo Camii published its Ramadan calendar with daily prayer times on January 29. For the 2027 dates and times, you will likewise need to wait for announcements after the new year.

Ramadan falls at a different time each year in the Gregorian calendar. According to the Japan Tourism Agency’s guide, the Islamic calendar has 354 days, 11 fewer than the Gregorian year, so Ramadan moves earlier by that amount each year. Some sources use the longer Japanese spelling (ラマダーン), but this article consistently uses Ramadan (ラマダン).

For preparations by restaurants and other businesses, see What Your Place Can Do During Ramadan: Preparing Around Sunset Times, and Customer Flow After the Fast. We checked this article’s information against published materials from the organizations, ministries, and other bodies on October 12, 2026.

Fasting is from dawn to sunset

Fasting in Ramadan is prescribed for believers in Quran 2:183. Quran 2:187 sets out what to abstain from and until when. In Ryoichi Mita’s Japanese translation, the passage says to eat and drink until dawn, when the white thread can be distinguished from the black thread, and then complete the fast until nightfall. The same verse permits marital relations during the nights of fasting.

The Japanese Muslim organization Islamic Circle of Japan also explains fasting as abstaining from food, drink, and sexual contact from dawn to sunset. A table in a report by the Chubu Regional Administrative Evaluation Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), likewise says all eating and drinking are prohibited from dawn until night during the period, including water.

People also restrain their speech and behavior while fasting. Islamic Circle of Japan’s explanation emphasizes avoiding gossip, lies, and indecent behavior as the spiritual side of fasting. Sahih al-Bukhari 1894 records the Prophet’s words that fasting is a shield, that a fasting person should not behave foolishly, and that if someone picks a fight or insults them, they should say “I am fasting” twice.

Tokyo Camii’s Ramadan 2026 calendar shows the daily schedule in Tokyo.

2026Dawn prayer (start of the fast)SunriseSunset prayer (end of the fast)
February 19 (first day)04:5806:1717:33
March 19 (last day)04:2105:4017:58

On the first day, fasting ran from 04:58 to 17:33, lasting 12 hours and 35 minutes. On the last day, it ran from 04:21 to 17:58, lasting 13 hours and 37 minutes. It became about an hour longer over the month.

Some sources describe fasting as “from sunrise to sunset,” such as the 2012 explanation of international protocol from the local partnership office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (MOFA). But the calendar shows fasting starting one hour and 19 minutes before sunrise. End times also vary. For Tokyo on February 19, 2026, the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan’s sunset time was 17:26, while Tokyo Camii’s calendar gave 17:33 for the sunset prayer. It is reassuring to follow the calendar of the mosque you attend when ending your fast.

In 2027, Ramadan starts about 11 days earlier, so daylight hours are slightly shorter. The National Astronomical Observatory of Japan’s calendar gives sunrise at 06:36 and sunset at 17:15 in Tokyo on February 8, 2027. Compared with February 19, the first day in 2026 (06:24 and 17:26), sunrise is 12 minutes later and sunset 11 minutes earlier. On March 8, sunrise is at 06:02 and sunset at 17:42. The business article linked above has a table of sunset times in other Japanese cities.

Who does not have to fast, and days to make up later

The Quran also specifies who does not have to fast. In Quran 2:184, as translated into Japanese by Ryoichi Mita, those who are ill or traveling may fast the same number of days later, while those for whom fasting is too difficult compensate by feeding a poor person. Quran 2:185 then prescribes fasting for those at home during the month, repeats that those who are ill or traveling can make up the days later, and concludes that Allah seeks ease for you, not hardship.

Islamic Circle of Japan explains it as follows. Fasting is obligatory for Muslims who have reached puberty and are physically and mentally healthy. People who are ill or traveling may postpone it until the illness or journey ends. Pregnant and breastfeeding people may also postpone it. Older people unable to bear fasting and people unable to fast because of illness are exempt. If they have the means, they provide meals for poor people for the number of days they did not fast.

Children before puberty do not have to fast, but some try before it becomes obligatory. In a survey across six prefectures in Tokai and Hokuriku, the Chubu Regional Administrative Evaluation Bureau found schools accommodating children who began trying to fast around the upper elementary grades. Examples included letting them spend the lunch break in a separate room and avoiding overexertion in afternoon classes.

Under the Quran, Muslims traveling in Japan are in a position to postpone fasting until later. Some still continue to fast. The Japan Tourism Agency’s guide says fewer Muslims travel during Ramadan, but some fast while traveling.

Meals after fasting and iftar at Tokyo Camii

During Ramadan, meals center on suhoor before the fast begins and iftar after sunset. Both names appear in Islamic Circle of Japan’s explanation.

Some people begin iftar with dates. This practice is based on accounts in Sunan Abi Dawud. Hadith 2356 reports that the Prophet broke his fast before prayer with fresh dates, or dried dates if fresh ones were unavailable, or a few sips of water if neither was available. Hadith 2355 records the Prophet’s instruction to break the fast with dates, or water if dates are unavailable, because water purifies. According to MOFA’s explanation, the custom is to eat a small amount of dates or similar food, let the stomach adjust with juice or water, and then have the meal.

Tokyo Camii’s evening meals are one place Muslims gather for iftar. According to its 2026 announcement, they were held every day during Ramadan around sunset. Fasting Muslims did not need reservations. The arrangement was to finish the sunset prayer, Maghrib, in the prayer hall and then go to the first-floor dining venue. Dried dates and water were available in front of the prayer hall and on the terrace.

Non-Muslims could also attend to learn about Islamic culture and fasting. Seats for them were limited, so reservations through the calendar on the announcement page were required, with one visit per person during the period. Donations funded the evening meals. The notice said the dining venue, culture center, and Halal Market closed at 19:00. The 2026 calendar gave 19:30 as the start of the night prayer and Tarawih, the night prayers held only during Ramadan.

Islamic Circle of Japan also explains that people invite one another to iftar or bring food to the mosque to share, especially with poor people. Check Tokyo Camii’s 2027 announcements for the dates and reservation process for its evening meals.

What people around you can do at work or school

A December 2017 report by the Chubu Regional Administrative Evaluation Bureau gives examples of support for fasting colleagues and classmates. It surveyed workplaces, universities, local governments, and other places with many Muslims across six prefectures: Aichi, Toyama, Ishikawa, Gifu, Shizuoka, and Mie.

Examples during Ramadan included the following. One workplace checked how employees were feeling at the morning meeting, with colleagues watching for dehydration and other problems. Another normally alternated day and night shifts weekly. Because fasting employees did not eat lunch, those who wished could work night shifts for two consecutive weeks. At universities, students were not made to exercise excessively, and faculty members responsible for international students asked about their health.

The report also gives results from 20 municipal boards of education on elementary and junior high schools. Seven municipalities let fasting children spend time in a separate room, such as a library, with school staff present. Three allowed children to observe swimming lessons instead of participating. Three allowed them to leave before school lunch or be absent for several days. Citing the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s “Guide to Accepting Foreign Children and Students” (March 2011), the report says religious matters often call for respecting parents’ decisions and that building a shared understanding at the start is important.

Invitations to meals also need thought. MOFA’s explanation cited above asks people to understand that Ramadan is physically and spiritually demanding and to refrain from inviting people to ordinary meals during this period. You could postpone daytime meals or lunch meetings until after Ramadan, or move them to after sunset. The same explanation says iftar after sunset is also shared with family, relatives, colleagues, and friends.

The support needed differs from person to person. The MIC report also notes that the level of observance differs between countries and regions, and that interpretation and practice differ by individual. Asking the person whether they are fasting, when they end the fast, and whether they need time for prayer is the quickest way to find out.

Eid al-Fitr and Ramadan greetings

The day after Ramadan ends is the festival of Eid al-Fitr. In 2027, it falls on Tuesday, March 9, in Muhammadiyah’s calendar. According to Islamic Circle of Japan, people dress formally on the morning of Eid, go to the mosque, listen to a sermon, and pray. They celebrate by sharing a meal with family and giving small gifts, especially to children.

Before the festival begins, adults and children give zakat al-fitr, the charity marking the end of the fast. Islamic Circle of Japan explains that it provides food or equivalent money to people in need so no one is left out of the celebration. Tokyo Camii’s 2026 calendar set it at 2,000 yen per person.

Tokyo Camii held its 2026 Eid prayers on Friday, March 20. Its January calendar gave 08:00, but an announcement on March 19, the day before, said there would be four sessions: 06:30, 07:15, 08:00, and 08:45. It also asked people to complete ablution (wudu) before coming because of the crowds and to come without cars or bicycles because there was no parking. The mosque opened at the dawn prayer time. Times can change at short notice, so in 2027 too, read announcements up to the day before.

There are set Arabic greetings during Ramadan. A 2022 article by the Middle Eastern news organization Al Jazeera lists “Ramadan Mubarak” (blessed Ramadan) and “Ramadan Kareem” (generous Ramadan) as common examples. The Eid greeting is “Eid Mubarak.” Tokyo Camii also used this phrase in its 2023 Eid sermon, wishing Muslims around the world a blessed festival.

Eating during Ramadan in Japan

If you are fasting in Japan, planning where to eat before dawn and after sunset can make getting around easier. The Japan Tourism Agency’s guide advises hosts to plan tour schedules and restaurant hours that allow breakfast before dawn and dinner after sunset.

In Tokyo in 2026, the dawn prayer was between 04:00 and 05:00. Suhoor must be finished before then. If breakfast at your accommodation does not fit, prepare food the night before or speak to the accommodation in advance.

In Tokyo in 2027, sunset is at 17:15 on February 8 and 17:42 on March 8, according to the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. If you are out when breaking the fast, carrying dates and water lets you eat without waiting until you reach a restaurant. The sunset prayer comes soon after breaking the fast, so also check prayer rooms near your destination.

For prayer room locations, see Where Are the Prayer Rooms at Airports and Stations? Official Information for Narita, Haneda, Kansai, Tokyo Station, and Osaka Station and Tourist Spots and Shopping Facilities Where You Can Pray in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka: Prayer Room Locations and How to Use Them.

The way to check pork and alcohol when eating out does not change during Ramadan. For questions to ask restaurants, see “Is It Halal?” Is Not Enough: How to Ask When Checking at a Restaurant. For choosing food at convenience stores, see Are Convenience Store Onigiri and Bento Halal? What the Published Information from 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, and Lawson Tells You. You can see listed businesses’ information on Halal Gohan’s Find a place page.

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

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