Session hours are weekday conventions, not exchange opening bells. Pip ranges, spreads and trade scenarios below are illustrative, not live quotes or measured forecasts; conditions vary by broker and date.
Asian Forex Session Hours: Sydney & Tokyo Combined
The Asian session spans Sydney (22:00–07:00 UTC AEST / 21:00–06:00 UTC AEDT) and Tokyo (00:00–09:00 UTC), forming a combined trading window of 11–12 hours that opens the forex week. It is the domain of the Japanese yen, Australian dollar, and New Zealand dollar — cleaner trends, lower volatility, and the foundation upon which European and US sessions build.
Asian session status right now
Real-time status of Sydney and Tokyo trading desks — updated every second. The Asian session spans two timezones and can run 11–12 hours when Sydney and Tokyo are both open.
Why the Asian session is fundamentally different
The Asian session is not a quieter version of London — it is a different market entirely. Three structural differences set it apart: a policy-active BOJ that moves yen crosses directly, a trading week that opens in Sydney before anywhere else, and structurally thinner volume that changes how price behaves.
Unlike London–New York's 4-hour overlap, Sydney and Tokyo run together for up to 7 hours — effectively one combined market. During AEDT (Oct–Apr) Sydney opens an hour earlier at 21:00 UTC and the overlap contracts to 6 hours (00:00–06:00 UTC).
The BOJ is an active market participant, not just a rate-setter — its policy levers move yen crosses directly.
The week begins in Sydney — a full weekend of news prices in during the first hours.
AUD, NZD and JPY markets can be active during local data releases. Singapore and Hong Kong are also important FX centres, so Tokyo and Sydney alone do not represent all Asian trading activity.
Geographic turnover shares cannot be used as session volume shares. Check live spreads and the release calendar for the pair you trade.
Asian session at a glance
A static reference showing Sydney and Tokyo session hours across major timezones. Tokyo times are constant year-round; Sydney times shift with AEDT.
| Timezone | Offset | Sydney Opens | Sydney Closes | Tokyo Opens | Tokyo Closes | Total Window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UTC | UTC+0 | 22:00 | 07:00 | 00:00 | 09:00 | 22:00–09:00 (11h) |
| JST (Tokyo) | UTC+9 | 07:00 | 16:00 | 09:00 | 18:00 | 07:00–18:00 (11h) |
| AEST (Sydney winter) | UTC+10 | 08:00 | 17:00 | 10:00 | 19:00 | 08:00–19:00 (11h) |
| AEDT (Sydney summer) | UTC+11 | 08:00 | 17:00 | 11:00 | 20:00 | 08:00–20:00 (12h) |
| SGT (Singapore) | UTC+8 | 06:00 | 15:00 | 08:00 | 17:00 | 06:00–17:00 (11h) |
| BST (London summer) | UTC+1 | 23:00 | 08:00 | 01:00 | 10:00 | 23:00–10:00 (11h) |
| EST (NY winter) | UTC−5 | 17:00 | 02:00+1 | 19:00 | 04:00+1 | 17:00–04:00+1 (11h) |
| EDT (NY summer) | UTC−4 | 18:00 | 03:00+1 | 20:00 | 05:00+1 | 18:00–05:00+1 (11h) |
Asian economic data release schedule
The Asian session's data calendar spans three central banks — RBA, RBNZ, and BOJ — plus Australian, New Zealand, Chinese, Japanese, and Singapore data releases that ripple through AUD, NZD, JPY, and regional currencies. Together with the daily Tokyo fix, these are the primary catalysts for Asian-session price action.
| Time (UTC) | Event | Frequency | Impact | Pairs Affected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22:45 UTC | New Zealand Employment / Unemployment | Quarterly | High | NZD/USD, AUD/NZD |
| 22:45 UTC | New Zealand CPI | Quarterly | High | NZD/USD, AUD/NZD |
| 23:50 UTC | Japan Tankan Survey (08:50 JST) | Quarterly | High | USD/JPY, all yen crosses |
| 00:30 UTC | Australian Employment Data | Monthly | High | AUD/USD, AUD/JPY, AUD/NZD |
| 00:30 UTC | Australian GDP | Quarterly | High | AUD/USD, AUD/JPY |
| 00:55 UTC | Tokyo Fix (importers/exporters squaring) | Daily (weekdays) | Medium | USD/JPY, all yen crosses |
| 01:00 / 02:00 UTC | RBNZ Rate Decision | 7x per year | Very High | NZD/USD, AUD/NZD |
| 00:30 UTC | Australian CPI | Quarterly | High | AUD/USD, AUD/JPY |
| 02:00–04:00 UTC | BOJ Rate Decision | 8x per year | Very High | USD/JPY, all yen crosses |
| 02:00–03:00 UTC | Chinese Trade Balance / GDP / PMIs | Monthly/Quarterly | High | AUD/USD, NZD/USD, AUD/JPY |
| 03:30 UTC | RBA Rate Decision | 8x per year (1st Tue) | Very High | AUD/USD, AUD/JPY, AUD/NZD |
| 04:30 UTC | Japan CPI / Industrial Production | Monthly | Medium-High | USD/JPY, yen crosses |
| 05:00 UTC | Singapore CPI / GDP | Monthly/Quarterly | Low-Medium | USD/SGD, regional pairs |
| 06:00 UTC | Japan All Industry Activity Index | Monthly | Low | USD/JPY |
Sydney DST vs Tokyo no-DST: a shifting overlap
The Asian session has a unique DST dynamic: Sydney observes daylight saving time (AEST/AEDT) while Tokyo does not. This means the Sydney–Tokyo overlap window expands and contracts seasonally, and Sydney's UTC window shifts while Tokyo's stays fixed. Understanding this asymmetry is critical for traders who rely on the overlap window for AUD/JPY and AUD/USD.
| Period | Sydney Time | Tokyo Time | Sydney UTC | Tokyo UTC | Overlap Duration | What changes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early Apr – early Oct | AEST (UTC+10) | JST (UTC+9) | 22:00–07:00 | 00:00–09:00 | 00:00–07:00 (7h) | Southern winter. Sydney and Tokyo overlap for 7 hours. Sydney opens at 08:00 AEST local (22:00 UTC). |
| Early Oct – early Apr | AEDT (UTC+11) | JST (UTC+9) | 21:00–06:00 | 00:00–09:00 | 00:00–06:00 (6h) | Southern summer. Sydney shifts to AEDT — the UTC window moves 1 hour earlier. Sydney opens at 21:00 UTC on Sunday, one hour earlier than during AEST. |
Japan has no DST. When Sydney, London, and New York shift twice a year, Tokyo never moves — the one constant for planning Asian-session trades around UTC.
On AEDT, the Sydney open jumps an hour earlier — 23:00 to 22:00 BST for London traders. Plan the Sunday open around the October shift.
The overlap is 7h during AEST, 6h during AEDT. The extra hour (06:00–07:00 UTC) is a quiet but tradable AUD/JPY window.
Best currency pairs to trade during Asian hours
The Asian session is the natural home of yen crosses and Antipodean pairs. Here are the seven worth trading, ranked by how well they suit the session — with each pair's strategy tucked away until you need it.
AUD pair times shown in AEST (Apr–Oct); NZD pairs in NZST (UTC+12). Wellington opens 2 hours before Sydney, so NZD/USD runs 20:00–05:00 UTC while AUD pairs run 22:00–07:00 UTC. During AEDT/NZDT (Oct–Apr) both shift 1 hour earlier in UTC. JPY pair times are Tokyo-anchored and never shift — Japan does not observe DST.
Tokyo's flagship — Japanese institutional flow drives every move.
Sydney's flagship — RBA decisions and Chinese data drive clean trends.
The Asian risk barometer — moves with the Nikkei and ASX opens.
The Kiwi — smooth trends off RBNZ decisions and the dairy auction.
A Tokyo-flow trade — the yen leg leads while European desks sleep.
The widest yen cross — big ranges off Asian risk sentiment.
A regional cross sensitive to Australian and New Zealand news.
How to trade the Asian session
Asian hours are low-volume, so non-Asian pairs see wider spreads and thin ranges. Yen crosses and AUD/NZD are the exception — cleaner technical levels, fewer false breakouts. Below, a four-phase plan in order: what to trade, when to trade, how to read the roadmap, and when to stand aside.
- 01Sydney opens · 22:00 UTC (AEST) / 21:00 (AEDT)
Focus on Asian-native pairs
Trade only the pairs with real Asian liquidity
- Yen crosses & AUD/NZD keep tight spreads
- Skip EUR/USD & Cable — ranges drop to 20–35 pips
then - 02Tokyo morning · 00:00–03:00 UTC
Trade the Tokyo morning
Front-run the first three hours after Tokyo opens
- Tokyo fix 00:55 · Aussie jobs 00:30 (AEDT) / 01:30 (AEST) · China data 02:00–04:00
- Momentum fades after 05:00 — stop chasing
then - 03Throughout · the whole sessionThe framework
Use NY close levels as your roadmap
Mark the NY close high, low & mid before Asia opens — then trade around them all session
- Asian hours rarely challenge these levels hard
- Breaks here are more genuine than London noise
then - 04London handover · 08:00 UTC (GMT) / 07:00 (BST)
Prepare for the London handover
Have a plan before the London open hits
- Asian trends often reverse or accelerate at the handover
- Close yen-cross longs or widen stops to absorb the spike
When understanding the Asian session makes the difference
Four real scenarios where Asian session dynamics — the Tokyo fix, Sydney DST shifts, BOJ intervention risk, and the Sunday open — directly impact trade outcomes. Each broken into the trigger, the cost, and the lesson.
Entering USD/JPY right before the Tokyo fix
You short USD/JPY on a technical breakdown at 00:50 UTC — five minutes before the daily fix is calculated. At 00:55 a wave of importer dollar-demand hits as the fix squares.
Avoid entering yen crosses in the 00:50–01:00 UTC window unless you're specifically trading the fix.
The BOJ intervenes — and you have no stop
You're short USD/JPY from 150.00 with a take-profit but no stop. At 03:00 UTC the Ministry of Finance orders the BOJ to buy yen aggressively.
Never trade yen crosses in Tokyo hours without a stop — intervention is rare but devastating, and it only happens during the Asian session.
You miss the Sunday open when it shifts an hour
You check the Sunday Sydney open every week at 23:00 BST to gauge opening gaps. In early October Sydney switches to AEDT and the open moves to 21:00 UTC.
The Sunday Sydney open shifts by one hour each October and April — reset your evening schedule both times.
You bet on the Nikkei but forget the ASX
The Nikkei opens higher at 00:00 UTC and you go long AUD/JPY on risk-on carry. The ASX 200 opens lower at the same moment — Australian banks under pressure.
AUD/JPY answers to two equity markets at once — one bullish Nikkei won't save you from a bearish ASX.