The Tokyo session, hour by hour
The Tokyo session runs from 09:00 to 18:00 Japan time, which is 00:00 to 09:00 UTC all year, because Japan does not change its clocks. It is the heart of the Asian session: Japanese and Australian figures land in it, and for the yen it is almost as busy as London. From 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2026, an hour in Tokyo moved USD/JPY 9.3 pips on average, against 10.1 in the London session.
Measured on hourly prices from 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2026.
Open right now
Reading your clock.
- Sydney...
- Tokyo...
- London...
- New York...
Hours are shown in your own time zone and follow each centre's own clock change, so they shift by an hour at different times of the year. Trading itself runs through the night; a closed centre means its own desks have gone home, not that the market has stopped.
Tokyo session time in your country
Because Japan keeps the same time all year, the Tokyo session never moves in UTC. It only moves for you if your own country changes its clocks, as the United Kingdom, Europe and the United States do.
Sydney opens a few hours earlier and Singapore and Hong Kong trade alongside Tokyo, which is why traders call the whole stretch from the Tokyo open until London arrives the Asian session.
London opens before Tokyo closes: for one hour in winter and for two in summer, both are trading at once.
| Where | Winter | Summer |
|---|---|---|
| India (IST) | 05:30 to 14:30 | same |
| Pakistan (PKT) | 05:00 to 14:00 | same |
| Philippines (PHT) | 08:00 to 17:00 | same |
| Kenya (EAT) | 03:00 to 12:00 | same |
| Nigeria (WAT) | 01:00 to 10:00 | same |
| United Kingdom (GMT / BST) | 00:00 to 09:00 | 01:00 to 10:00 |
| Central Europe (CET / CEST) | 01:00 to 10:00 | 02:00 to 11:00 |
| New York (EST / EDT) | 19:00 to 04:00 | 20:00 to 05:00 |
How busy the Tokyo session really is
We measured it: the average size of an hourly move, in pips, on every weekday from 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2026. For the yen and the Australian dollar, Tokyo is close to London. For the euro and the pound it is not.
| Pair | Tokyo | London | London and New York |
|---|---|---|---|
| USD/JPY | 9.3 | 10.1 | 10.9 |
| AUD/JPY | 8.8 | 8.1 | 10.8 |
| EUR/JPY | 9.9 | 10.4 | 11.1 |
| AUD/USD | 4.9 | 5.3 | 6.9 |
| NZD/USD | 4.4 | 4.7 | 5.7 |
| EUR/USD | 4.8 | 6.8 | 7.6 |
| GBP/USD | 6.3 | 9.4 | 10.9 |
Average move per hour, close to close, in pips, weekdays only, from Yahoo Finance hourly prices. An hour that falls in two sessions counts for the later one. AUD/JPY even moves more in Tokyo (8.8) than in the London hours before New York opens (8.1). The same measurement for all sessions is on the best time to trade forex.
What lands, and when
08:30 and 08:50 Tokyo
Japanese data
Inflation at 08:30, growth and the Tankan survey at 08:50, all before the Tokyo open, so the yen starts the session already repriced.
11:30 Sydney
Australian data
Jobs, inflation and retail sales from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, which is 00:30 or 01:30 UTC depending on the season.
14:30 Sydney
Reserve Bank of Australia decisions
The rate decision and the statement land in the Tokyo afternoon, the biggest scheduled event for the Australian dollar.
No fixed hour
Bank of Japan decisions
The decision comes when the meeting ends, usually close to noon Tokyo time, and the Governor's press conference follows at 15:30.
Pairs with a reason to move
- USD/JPY. The yen traded by the people who hold it, with Japanese data at the start of the session: 9.3 pips an hour.
- AUD/JPY and NZD/JPY. Both legs have their own news in these hours, and both swing with the risk mood in Asian markets.
- AUD/USD and NZD/USD. Australian and New Zealand releases land here, not in London.
- Not EUR/USD. It moves 4.8 pips an hour in Tokyo against 7.6 when London and New York are both open. Its news comes later in the day.
This week's releases are on the calendar, what drives the yen is on the Japanese yen page, and the session that follows Tokyo is on the London session page.
Questions about the Tokyo session
What time is the Tokyo session in forex?
09:00 to 18:00 Japan time, which is 00:00 to 09:00 UTC all year, because Japan does not use daylight saving time. In India that is 05:30 to 14:30, in the Philippines 08:00 to 17:00, and in London midnight to 09:00 in winter and 01:00 to 10:00 in summer. Live session clock
Is the Asian session the same as the Tokyo session?
Traders use both names for the same stretch of the day, from the Tokyo open until London arrives. Sydney opens a few hours before Tokyo, and Singapore and Hong Kong trade alongside it, so the Asian session is a little wider than Tokyo alone.
Which pairs are best in the Tokyo session?
The ones with an Asian leg. From 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2026, USD/JPY moved 9.3 pips an hour in Tokyo against 10.1 in London, and AUD/JPY 8.8 against 8.1. EUR/USD moved 4.8 pips an hour in Tokyo, against 7.6 when London and New York are both open. Every session, measured
When does the Tokyo session overlap with London?
For one hour in winter and two in summer. Tokyo closes at 09:00 UTC all year, and London opens at 08:00 London time, which is 08:00 UTC in winter and 07:00 UTC in summer. The London session