Sightings

See the ISS over Tokyo

Japan · local time

The International Space Station makes 12 visible passes over Tokyo in the next few nights. Each one is a bright, fast-moving point of light crossing the sky in a matter of minutes — no telescope needed. Times below are in Tokyo's local clock.

Mon 29 Jun 01:20
Visible
3m 30s
Max height
14°
Brightness
+3.6 very faint
Appears → Leaves
NW → N
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Tue 30 Jun 00:31
Visible
5m
Max height
20°
Brightness
+5.5 very faint
Appears → Leaves
WNW → NNE
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Thu 2 Jul 00:35
Visible
1m
Max height
10°
Brightness
+4.7 very faint
Appears → Leaves
NNW → N
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Thu 2 Jul 23:45
Visible
3m 30s
Max height
14°
Brightness
+6.1 very faint
Appears → Leaves
NW → N
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Fri 3 Jul 22:56
Visible
5m
Max height
20°
Brightness
+5.1 very faint
Appears → Leaves
WNW → NNE
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Sat 4 Jul 03:51
Visible
5m
Max height
19°
Brightness
+3.1 very faint
Appears → Leaves
NNW → E
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Sat 4 Jul 22:08
Visible
6m
Max height
31°
Brightness
+3.6 very faint
Appears → Leaves
W → NNE
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Sun 5 Jul 03:03
Visible
3m 30s
Max height
13°
Brightness
+4.7 very faint
Appears → Leaves
N → ENE
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Sun 5 Jul 19:45
Visible
3m
Max height
12°
Brightness
−0.6 moderate
Appears → Leaves
SSE → E
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Sun 5 Jul 21:19
Visible
7m
Max height
52°
Brightness
+0.4 faint
Appears → Leaves
WSW → NE
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Sun 5 Jul 22:59
Visible
1m 30s
Max height
10°
Brightness
+5.8 very faint
Appears → Leaves
NNW → N
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
Mon 6 Jul 03:51
Visible
6m 30s
Max height
46°
Brightness
+1.2 faint
Appears → Leaves
NW → ESE
60° 30° NESW rise
Where to look — the arc across your sky
Ground track — the path beneath the Station
See it live from your exact spot Get pass alerts on your phone

How to read this

  • Max height — how high the ISS climbs above the horizon at its peak, in degrees (90° is straight overhead). Higher passes are brighter and easier to spot.
  • Brightness — apparent magnitude; lower (more negative) is brighter. At its best the ISS outshines every star.
  • Appears → Leaves — the compass direction it rises from and sets toward. The station always tracks roughly west-to-east.

Want the underlying mechanics? Read how to spot the ISS, why passes only happen at dawn and dusk, and how the station's brightness is worked out.

Frequently asked

When is the ISS visible from Tokyo?

The next visible pass over Tokyo is on Mon 29 Jun at 01:20 local time, climbing to 14° above the horizon. The station is only visible when it is sunlit and your sky is dark — around dawn and dusk — so favourable windows come in clusters of a few days, then disappear for a week or two as the orbit drifts.

Which direction should I look to see the ISS from Tokyo?

For the next pass, look toward the NW as it rises and follow it across to the N. The ISS always travels roughly west-to-east and crosses in two to six minutes — no telescope needed, it looks like a bright, steady star moving steadily across the sky.

How bright does the ISS get over Tokyo?

At its best in this window the station reaches magnitude −0.6 (moderate) — bright enough to outshine every star and most planets. The higher it climbs and the closer it passes to overhead, the brighter it appears.

Are these ISS pass times accurate?

Yes — they are computed from the latest published orbital element set (TLE) using the standard SGP4 model, the same maths professional tracking tools use. Times are shown in Tokyo's local clock and refreshed continuously as a newer element set is published. For a live sky view and a phone-pointing AR mode, use the tracker on the home page.

Coordinates 35.68°N, 139.65°E · orbital data updated · computed with the SGP4 model.