Tokyo (Asian) Session — Complete Guide (BD Time)
Complete guide to the Tokyo/Asian forex session. Opens at 5:00 AM Bangladesh time. Covers JPY pairs, Asian range creation, and ICT session concepts.
Tokyo Session Overview
The Tokyo session, also known as the Asian session, is where the daily trading range begins to form. In ICT methodology, this session creates the Asian Range — the liquidity pool that London and New York later target.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| 🕐 BD Time | 5:00 AM → 2:00 PM |
| 🌐 GMT/UTC | 11:00 PM (prev day) → 8:00 AM |
| 📊 Volatility | Medium |
| 💧 Liquidity | Medium |
| 🏦 Institutional Activity | Moderate (BOJ, Asian banks) |
| ⚡ Risk Level | Low to Medium |
Best Currency Pairs
- USD/JPY — The king of the Asian session
- EUR/JPY — High beta JPY cross
- GBP/JPY — Volatile JPY cross
- AUD/JPY — Regional activity
- AUD/USD — Continues from Sydney
- NZD/USD — Regional pair
Market Behavior
Range Creation Phase
The Tokyo session typically creates a consolidation range — this is critically important in SMC and ICT methodology:
- Price tends to trade sideways within a defined range
- This range creates equal highs and equal lows — forming liquidity pools
- London session later sweeps this liquidity to fuel its moves
Mark the high and low of the Asian session (5:00 AM - 1:00 PM BD). London often sweeps one side of this range to generate its trending move. This is a core ICT concept.
Institutional Activity
- Bank of Japan (BOJ) interventions and statements
- Chinese economic data releases (typically 7:30 AM - 8:00 AM BD)
- Australian data releases (6:30 AM BD)
- Japanese data (5:50 AM - 6:00 AM BD)
Typical Price Action Sequence
- 5:00 AM - 7:00 AM BD: Initial volatility as Tokyo opens, potential reaction to overnight news
- 7:00 AM - 11:00 AM BD: Range formation — price consolidates
- 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM BD: Range is established — waiting for London
- 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM BD: Tokyo-London overlap — potential breakout from Asian range
Trading Strategies
Asian Range Breakout (for London)
- Mark the Asian session high and low
- Wait for London to break the range
- Enter on the retest of the broken level
- Target the opposite side of the range as minimum target
JPY Pair Scalping
- Focus on USD/JPY during 5:00 AM - 8:00 AM BD
- Use 5-15 minute timeframes
- Target 10-20 pips per trade
- Tight stops (5-10 pips)
Range Trading
- Trade bounces within the Asian range
- Buy at support, sell at resistance
- Use oscillators (RSI) for confirmation
- Exit before London open (1:00 PM BD)
- Don't trade EUR/USD or GBP/USD during early Asian session — spreads are wide - Don't fight the range — wait for London to provide direction - Don't hold Asian session trades into London without a plan
Scalping Suitability: ⭐⭐⭐ (Good for JPY Pairs)
JPY pairs offer enough movement for scalping. Stick to USD/JPY and EUR/JPY.
Intraday Suitability: ⭐⭐⭐ (Moderate)
Good for marking levels and preparing for London. Limited for standalone intraday trading.
Key Takeaway for Bangladesh Traders
The Tokyo session is your morning session (5:00 AM - 2:00 PM BD). It's useful for:
- Marking the Asian range for London trading
- Scalping JPY pairs if you're an early riser
- Preparing your daily bias before the London session