Goichi Hosoda and the Ichimoku Kinko Hyo
Hosoda designed a complete trend system that shows trend, momentum and support at a glance.
Trade a real day like Goichi Hosoda
A real market day with the date hidden. Run the checklist on the chart, then buy, sell or stay out: the real candles answer.
Check every point of the list before you decide. Stay out if the setup is not there.
Who they were
Goichi Hosoda was a Japanese newspaper journalist who wrote under the pen name Ichimoku Sanjin. He worked on his chart for decades with a team of assistants before publishing it in 1969.
Ichimoku Kinko Hyo means "one-glance equilibrium chart". It became popular in the West from the 1990s.
Principles and rules
1. Equilibrium
Each line is a midpoint of a high-low range: it shows where the market is balanced over that period.
2. Three timeframes
The 9, 26 and 52 periods represent short, medium and long horizons.
3. Time projection
The cloud is plotted ahead to show future support and resistance.
4. Agreement
The strongest signals come when price, the lines and the cloud all agree.
Key lessons
- A single picture can summarise trend, momentum and support.
- Trade only when all components agree.
- Inside the cloud, the market is undecided.
Strategies from this method
How to practise it
The Ichimoku cloud strategy page has the rules. In Candlemind you can write the Tenkan and Kijun lines in My indicators with highest() and lowest().
Frequently asked questions
What does Ichimoku mean?
"One glance": the full name means one-glance equilibrium chart.
Why 9, 26 and 52?
They reflected trading weeks and months in Japan when Hosoda designed the system; most traders still use them.
Summaries and paraphrases of public books and interviews, for education. Not investment advice.