The curious case of the Asian session range

[Shadow Trader]

Asian hours get ignored by many traders because the major pairs often drift. Yet the session has a structure worth understanding.

Tokyo and Sydney set the early tone. Liquidity is thinner in EURUSD but healthier in yen pairs and Australian and New Zealand dollar pairs. Local data releases, such as Australian employment or Japanese trade figures, can move those currencies sharply while the rest of the world sleeps.

The range formed during Asia often becomes a reference for London. When European traders arrive, price frequently tests the high or low of the Asian range, sometimes spiking through before reversing. That behaviour is the basis for several well-known strategies.

For scalpers, the quiet session offers lower volatility and more predictable behaviour, though spreads tend to run higher than during overlap hours.

It suits patient range traders more than momentum chasers.

Does anyone here deliberately scalp the Asian session, and which pairs have been the most reliable?