JDK 1.1.1, 1.1.3FCS and 1.1.4C. reports user.timezone is GMT in Japan.
Japanese timezone is JST not GMT.

test program:
public class TimeZoneApp
{
   public static void main(String[] args)
   {
     String tz = System.getProperty("user.timezone", "GMT");
     System.out.println("Time Zone is set to :" + tz);
   }
}
 

If change time zone via WinNT Date/Time Properties to US Central or Eastern time
zone, the correct time zone is reported by user.timezone. But if set to 
(GMT +9:00) Tokyo, Osaka, Sapporo, Seoul, Yakutsk, it will report timezone
to be "GMT".