Typically (aside from special sets like celebrations/pogo for example in recent years), cards come out in Japan often times month before they come out in the west…
However, this is finally getting closer to not being the case anymore…
SV3 Ruler of the Black Flame / Obsidian Flames
The Japanese set, RotBF releases July 28th, just two weeks before OBF releases in the west on August 11th. This means prerelease weekend for OBF begins on the same weekend that the Japanese counterpart releases. In other words, you will be able to buy packs of each (either full booster boxes in the east or build and battle boxes in the west) on the same weekend for the first time in a main set in idk how long. Please, if someone who has followed this longer than I have can say, let us know when, if ever, this has happened…
Here is how the schedule looks afterwards as well as my prediction for how the promotional cycle will unfold more or less*:
*caveat: Worlds is the week of August 11th and TPC/TPCI ALWAYS take this opportunity to share future plans, usually the next year’s card gimmick, but they will also be announcing more details on Pokemon Classic and who knows what else…
- August 3rd (one week after Ruler is released), Japan announces Raging Surf officially (set to release September 22nd.)
the international 151 set also releases September 22nd. I see two possibilities on this day/week.
-Either TPCI focuses on 151 to give time for TPC to do their normal reveal cycle for Surf
or
-TPCI also announces SV4 this same week, but then shifts back to hyping up 151 until that set comes out. *
*there is a chance this week is taken off to promote Worlds, and instead whatever announcement would have taken place on this day is saved for Worlds as we know TPC does like to announce things live at events when those events take place close enough to their reveal cycle.
- August 10-13th, SV5 (next year’s first set) is revealed at Worlds
(and maybe SV4 if the previous alternative takes place)
Not sure which day they will do this. Some years it has been at the opening ceremony, but in the last year, it was during the closing ceremony.
- September 29th (one week after Surf is released), Japan announces Ancient Roar/Future Flash (set to release October 27th).
I predict SV4 (the west version) will release two weeks after October 27th (November 10th), once again giving us the same situation where on October 27th, you will be able to buy/open SV4 globally on the same day.
- November 3rd (one week after AR/FF is released) Japan announces their holiday set (release likely early-mid december).
This is the one I’m lease confident on because I could see TPC/TPCI revealing the holiday set at worlds. However, if I had to bet, I don’t think they will because it will muddy up the bigger news of next year’s gimmick. I predict on this day/week, TPCI will also reveal their version of the holiday set which will likely release mid/late January because they don’t like releasing new sets so close to the holidays.
- Dec ? (one week after the holiday set comes out in japan), I could see a break, where TPC focuses on promoting their products, possibly including random decks or other products timed to release on this day. Since SV5 will already be revealed (most likely), there will be no new set reveal, but instead, they will pick up and begin showing more cards slowly for SV5 and we will be in a similar cycle as where we will be August 3rd
I do not expect west and east releases to ever fully synchronize because the west loves their wide array of products and product cycles and the east loves their tempo of releasing a new set every 6-8 weeks on average. However, I feel like we’re close enough to say the two halves of the Pokemon TCG have finally come together in their release schedules as well as they can.
And it all started with the silver borders… 
