Trading with a twist: The story of a system which has stood the test of time

The Ichimoku trading system was developed in Japan in the 1930s. My character Ichi is following a storyline using the Ichimoku Cloud indicator. (Please note: Although this is related to trading, this set of posts is primarily for entertainment and will be built on as Bitcoin s price adjusts). For the instalments, we will be using different aspects of the trading indicator providing a different way of learning.

Like any tale, the story will become more elaborate, detailed and mystical in time. It all depends what paths Ichi decides to take on his journey to find his way home. (Also note: I will highlight the words when using an actual name of the indicator so you can then Google and learn more about it yourself. Remember there are 5 indicators to the Ichimoku trading system.) Part I is an introduction. In instalments to follow, youcan expect the plot to develop, just like it does in the world of cryptocurrency trading

Part I: The Story of Ichimoku Sanjin – “What a Man in the Mountain Sees”

Ichi was born in Tokyo city. His father, Satoshi the son of a fisherman, was a gold miner who started life from in humble beginnings. Over years and after much sacrifice, he made his way in life and acquired his own mining operation. His mother, Sumiko, was a nurse at the local hospital and was greatly loved in her community.

Ichi never had a chance to meet her. His mother passed away shortly after he was born.

He can remember hearing his father cry in the middle of the night. His father felt the guilt for not having time to raise his son over the years. He was also filled with grief for his wife. Before Ichi was born, Satoshi and Sumiko dreamed of living a life in the mountains away from the centralized city. They dreamed of living in fresh air, drinking mountain water and growing their own food. They both yearned for privacy and a simple way of life. Now, after many decades and sacrifice to ensure his son Ichi would lead a financially well life, Satoshi was nearing the end of his. The night Satoshi would say goodbye to his son he made sure to pass one final request. His father asked Ichi to head towards the Three Holy Mountains and spread their ashes where he and his wife would rest forever. Before Satoshi took his final breath Ichi promised his father he would honor his request.

The path to the Three Holy Mountains would not be easy. There were no roads, trains or any kind of transportation. Many told Ichi that he would die on this trip. He was not trained to survive in the wild and a climb to 20,000-feet. Everyone doubted his journey; to the point of writing his obituary in the local paper to convince him to stay. Because of his father’s success and Ichi being the only son and last remaining heir many at the company questioned who would take over in the event of his passing.

He remembered hearing stories growing up how his father and grandfather would fish along the banks of the Tenkansen River. The fish were plentiful and healthy. The water so clear you could see through to the bottom. The river was fed from the snowmelt from the Three Holy Mountains. However, the Tenkansen river itself was dangerous and boasted volatile sections. Although it was the quickest path to the mountains, Ichi knew there would be sections when he could not be on his raft safely. At time, he would need to get off and walk along the Kijunsen trail.

Months after his father’s passing, Ichi set off for the adventure of a lifetime after following a training regime to ready him. He left Tokyo city in what was supposed to be a summer long adventure.

Destiny, however, had a different path in store for him.

The beginning of the rest of his life

He entered the Entrance of the Tenkansen as scheduled. Clear and beautiful skies. The river was calm that day, lulling Ichi into confidence that this short journey to the base of the mountain would be easy. The Sacred Groves of Japan surround the mouth of the Tenkansen. As Ichi boarded his raft and began drifting along the river he was transported to another world, one which harkens to another time. The air smelled different to him. The water so clear it seemed invisible.

Within a few short hours, he forgot about his life in the city. He quickly realized this was going to be a journey of not only bringing his parents home but also one of self-discovery. As the nights passed he saw stars for the first time. It was strange to him to hear the sounds of nature throughout the night. He found it hard to sleep; for the first time ever he felt awake. He realized that as he travelled further north away from the centralized city he felt freer than ever before. As the days passed he finally arrived at the base of the Three Holy Mountains.

At this point he was tired and hungry. Having lived off fish and many sleepless nights stargazing he knew he had to make this final push to the summit for his parents. The climb to the top was not long, but it was to be parabolic and steep. This was the final push of what he thought to be the climax of his quest to bring his mother and father to their final resting place.

After days of climbing, he was so cold that his bones were rattling. His hands shook when he reached in his backpack for the ashes of his mother and father. Finally, he had reached the summit. The promise he made to his father gave him the strength to power on despite all the voices in his head to give up. All the people who doubted him and wrote his obituary had been proved wrong. He said a prayer, held a picture of his parents and let the wind carry their ashes into the distance. In that very moment, he felt calm for the first time in his life when thinking of his father. He knew his parents were together at home and in peace.

The journey down

Now every mountain climber will tell you the climb doesn’t begin on the way up, it starts on the way down. He said one last prayer and decided to make his journey on the way down the mountain as he could see the weather was about to make a turn for the worst. As he made his way down the mountain on the Kijunsen trail he finally linked back to the Tenkansen river. He was able to take his raft winding through the mountain passes for several days. At times, the winds were volatile and the river full of rapids. But there were also periods of calm.

As Ichi made his way east along the river and coming down in elevation he noticed storm clouds forming. It surprised him because he went so many days without a stir on the river. Now the winds were picking up, rain was coming down so hard he could barely see a few inches in front of his face. What Ichi didn’t realized is that his life is about to take a turn he did not plan for. In the midst of this storm he missed his turn heading Southwest (red x) back towards home. Instead he continues to drift east on the river encountering more volatility and periods of calm. One day when he was asleep on his raft, he awoke to another storm and was launched into the river. Ichi’s raft destroyed in pieces and now he was stuck hiking along the river and Kijunsen trail. He had no idea where he was. He could see the Three Holy Mountains in the distance behind him and at this point with the rain coming down on him he decided to setup camp and ride the storm out.