Sun times in Sapporo on 4 November 2026
| Sunrise | 06:12 | rises toward ESE (110°) |
|---|---|---|
| Solar noon | 11:18 | sun 31.6° above the horizon |
| Sunset | 16:23 | sets toward WSW (250°) |
| Day length | 10 h 11 min | |
| Civil dawn | 05:43 | first usable light |
| Civil dusk | 16:53 | last usable light |
| Golden hour, morning | 06:12–06:53 | warm low light |
| Golden hour, evening | 15:42–16:23 | warm low light |
| Shadow at noon | 1.63 m | per metre of height |
Times are computed for 43.0667°, 141.35° and refreshed every day. For any other date, an exact azimuth or a shadow drawn on the map, open the interactive sun position map for Sapporo.
The sun’s path over Sapporo
How high the sun stands and where, from sunrise to sunset: today, at both solstices and at the equinox. The higher a curve climbs, the higher the sun; where a curve meets the bottom line, the sun rises or sets at that compass bearing.
- Today, 4 November
- 21 June
- Equinox, March and September
- 21 December
The sun's altitude against its compass bearing over Sapporo. On 21 June the sun rises at 56° (NE), climbs to 70.4° at solar noon and sets at 304° (NW). On 21 December the sun rises at 122° (ESE), climbs to 23.5° at solar noon and sets at 238° (WSW).
The sun through the year in Sapporo
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | Noon altitude | Noon shadow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 07:03 | 16:25 | 9 h 21 min | 25.8° | 2.1 m |
| February | 06:33 | 17:05 | 10 h 32 min | 34.2° | 1.5 m |
| March | 05:48 | 17:40 | 11 h 53 min | 44.8° | 1 m |
| April | 04:54 | 18:17 | 13 h 23 min | 56.7° | 0.7 m |
| May | 04:12 | 18:51 | 14 h 39 min | 65.8° | 0.4 m |
| June | 03:55 | 19:16 | 15 h 21 min | 70.2° | 0.4 m |
| July | 04:08 | 19:12 | 15 h 04 min | 68.5° | 0.4 m |
| August | 04:40 | 18:38 | 13 h 58 min | 61.0° | 0.6 m |
| September | 05:14 | 17:46 | 12 h 32 min | 50.0° | 0.8 m |
| October | 05:48 | 16:53 | 11 h 05 min | 38.5° | 1.3 m |
| November | 06:27 | 16:11 | 9 h 45 min | 28.5° | 1.8 m |
| December | 06:59 | 16:00 | 9 h 01 min | 23.7° | 2.3 m |
At the June solstice the midday sun reaches 70.4° above the horizon in Sapporo and the day lasts 15 h 22 min. At the December solstice the sun climbs only to 23.5° and the day shrinks to 9 h 00 min. That difference is what decides whether a garden, a window or a solar array sees the sun in winter. The noon shadow column gives the length of the shadow of anything one metre tall.
Sapporo through 2026 at a glance
| Longest day | 21 June | 15 h 22 min, 03:55–19:18 |
|---|---|---|
| Shortest day | 22 December | 9 h 00 min, 07:03–16:03 |
| Earliest sunrise | 15 June | 03:55 |
| Latest sunrise | 3 January | 07:06 |
| Earliest sunset | 9 December | 16:00 |
| Latest sunset | 27 June | 19:18 |
| Highest midday sun | 21 June | 70.4° |
| Lowest midday sun | 22 December | 23.5° |
| Sunrise direction | through the year | 56° NE (22 June) to 122° ESE (22 December) |
| Sunset direction | through the year | 238° WSW (22 December) to 304° NW (21 June) |
- At solar noon the sun in Sapporo always stands due south, so the south side of a building, a garden or a roof is the one that gets the sun.
- The earliest sunset is on 9 December, 13 days before the shortest day (22 December), and the latest sunrise on 3 January, 12 days after it. Solar noon drifts through the year, so the darkest afternoon and the darkest morning do not fall on the shortest day.
- The longest day in Sapporo is 6 h 23 min longer than the shortest, and around the equinoxes the days grow or shrink by up to 3.0 minutes a day.
The winter solstice 2026: the moment, and the shortest and the longest day, city by city →
Planning around the sun in Sapporo
Solar panels
At 43.1° N a fixed array facing due south collects the most over a year at a tilt of about 36°. Use the solar panel angle calculator with the coordinates 43.0667°, 141.35° for the exact optimum, the seasonal optima and the loss from an east or west facing roof.
Buying a flat or a plot
At the December solstice the noon sun in Sapporo sits 23.5° above the horizon, so every obstacle casts a shadow 2.3 times its own height at midday. Check what stands to the south before you commit: place the building on the map and read the shaded hours for 21 December.
Photography
Golden hour runs 06:12–06:53 in the morning and 15:42–16:23 in the evening today, and the sun sets toward WSW (250°). The golden hour calculator gives the same windows for any date, and the map’s alignment finder shows the days when the setting sun lines up with a street.
More on planning around the sun: which way a house, garden or balcony should face, how long golden hour lasts and why the earliest sunset comes before the shortest day.
Other cities
Near Sapporo
- Sun position in TokyoJapan
- Sun position in YokohamaJapan
- Sun position in NagoyaJapan
- Sun position in KyotoJapan
On the same latitude
Sapporo lies at 43.1° N. On the same parallel the longest and the shortest day last just as long and the noon sun climbs just as high, whatever the clocks say there:
- Sun position in MadisonUnited States • 43.1° N
- Sun position in London, OntarioCanada • 43.0° N
- Sun position in BishkekKyrgyzstan • 42.9° N
- Sun position in MarseilleFrance • 43.3° N
Questions
Sun questions about Sapporo
What time is sunrise and sunset in Sapporo today?
On 4 November 2026 the sun rises at 06:12 and sets at 16:23 in Sapporo (UTC+9), giving 10 h 11 min of daylight.
What time is solar noon in Sapporo today?
Solar noon is at 11:18, when the sun stands due south, 31.6° above the horizon. It is the middle of the day by the sun and the moment shadows are shortest.
When is the longest day of the year in Sapporo?
On 21 June, with 15 h 22 min between sunrise at 03:55 and sunset at 19:18.
When is the shortest day of the year in Sapporo?
On 22 December, with 9 h 00 min between sunrise at 07:03 and sunset at 16:03.
How high does the sun get in Sapporo?
At solar noon the sun reaches 70.4° on 21 June, its highest of the year, and only 23.5° on 22 December. Today it climbs to 31.6°.
In which direction does the sun rise and set in Sapporo?
Due east and due west only around the equinoxes. Through the year sunrise swings between 56° (NE) and 122° (ESE), and sunset between 238° (WSW) and 304° (NW).
What is the best angle for solar panels in Sapporo?
Facing due south (azimuth 180°) at a tilt of about 36° for the most energy over a year. A steeper tilt favours the winter months and a flatter one the summer.
When is the earliest sunset in Sapporo?
On 9 December at 16:00, 13 days before the shortest day. The latest sunrise is on 4 January at 07:06, so the evenings start getting lighter before the mornings do.
When do the days start getting longer in Sapporo?
Straight after the shortest day, 22 December, but slowly at first: by 31 December the day is only 3 minutes longer, by 31 January 53 minutes longer and by 28 February 2 h 08 min longer. The evenings start getting lighter a little earlier, after the earliest sunset on 9 December.
What time does it get dark in Sapporo in December?
On 1 December the sun sets at 16:01 and the sky is dark by about 16:33, when civil twilight ends. On 31 December sunset is at 16:09 and darkness at about 16:41.