AlphaTRADER Academy
Hosoda V / N / E Projections
Goichi Hosoda — creator of Ichimoku Kinko Hyo — didn't just give us cloud lines. His full methodology includes three core price projections from any swing pattern, plus a time-cycle component most modern books quietly skip. Used as confluence with Wyckoff P&F counts: this is the missing precision layer.
"The market does not move randomly. Price and time both follow rhythm." — Goichi Hosoda
The ABC Foundation
Every Hosoda projection starts with three swing points on the chart:
Swing origin. Local low (in a bull move) or high (in a bear move). The start of the measured impulse.
Opposite extreme of the impulse. Local high (bull) or low (bear) — end of the first leg.
Corrective swing back toward A — but never exceeding it. If C breaks A, the pattern is invalidated.
Auto-snap indicators like Future Targets click these to nearby fractal highs/lows so pixel precision doesn't matter — you mark the area, the tool finds the exact bar.
V / N / E Calculator
Enter your ABC swing prices. Three targets compute instantly.
Swing low/high at start of impulse
Opposite swing extreme
Pullback toward A (must not exceed A)
V = B + (B − A) = measured move from B
N = C + (B − A) = same magnitude from C
E = B + (B − C) = expansion when momentum continues
Pro tool unlocks
These come with Future Targets Pro — auto-snap ABC, all 5 projections, time cycles, alerts.
When Each Target Triggers
V — Baseline Measured Move
Most conservative target. Assumes the A→B impulse repeats in magnitude from B. Hit by virtually every clean trending move at minimum.
When to take partial: 30-50% of position on first V touch.
N — Corrective Continuation ⭐
The default Hosoda target. Hit by ~60% of clean ABC patterns. Treats the C-leg correction as a launch pad — the second impulse equals the first in magnitude.
When to take partial: another 30-40% of position on N. Lots of professional setups target exactly here.
E — Expansion (Momentum Refuses)
Triggered when buyers/sellers refuse to pause for normal correction. Often hit after a volume climax bar OR major news catalyst. Less reliable than V/N but highest R:R when it does fire.
When to take partial: final 20-30% of position on E approach. Trail the rest with structural stops.
Wyckoff × Hosoda Confluence
Wyckoff and Hosoda methods evolved independently — Wyckoff in 1900s NYC, Hosoda in 1930s Tokyo — but they cross-validate beautifully. Use them together for high-conviction entries:
| Wyckoff Element | Hosoda Equivalent | Combined Signal |
|---|---|---|
| P&F count target | V or N projection | Within 1-2% = high-conviction take-profit zone |
| Trading range edge | A or C swing point | Auto-validates ABC pattern within Wyckoff structure |
| Sign of Strength (SOS) | B point exit (post-corrective) | Entry trigger — C complete + SOS = N target lock-in |
| Phase E markup | E projection (expansion) | Final markup target — exits before exhaustion |
| Cause (range width) | Time projection (B−A duration) | Wyckoff says HOW MUCH. Hosoda says WHEN. |
High-conviction trade requirement: Wyckoff P&F count target AND Hosoda N projection should agree within ~3%. If they diverge significantly, the pattern lacks structural integrity — pass on the setup.
The Forgotten Dimension — Time Cycles
Most Ichimoku books in English skip Hosoda's time methodology (時間論). It's the most powerful dimension and the hardest to teach — but worth knowing:
- Count bars from A to B. That duration repeats forward from B and C as time targets — vertical lines on chart.
- Common cycles: 1× (equal time), 1.5×, 2×, 半数 (half — 0.5×), and SQ time markers.
- Reversals/targets that align with BOTH a price projection AND a time projection = highest conviction zone.
Manual time projections are tedious. Future Targets Pro auto-draws all cycle lines from your ABC selection.
Key Takeaways
- Three swing points, three targets. A (origin), B (impulse end), C (correction) → V, N, E.
- N is the default target — ~60% of clean trending moves hit C + (B − A). Most professional setups target exactly here.
- Scale out across V/N/E, don't try to ride to E with full position. 50% at V → 30% at N → trail the rest toward E.
- If C breaks A, the pattern is invalid. Re-mark from scratch. Don't force a target on a broken structure.
- Highest conviction = Wyckoff P&F count + Hosoda N agree within ~3%. Divergence > 5% means weak structural alignment — pass on the setup.
- Time projections answer WHEN, not WHERE. The most ignored dimension in modern Ichimoku education — and the one that separates serious Hosoda students from chart annotators.
Test Your Understanding
4 questions — instant feedback, no scoring stored.