With HK$300,000 (US$38,631) savings in tow, Japanese native Lingmuk moved to Hong Kong from Nagoya in August 2020 to pursue his master’s degree at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Speaking in fluent Cantonese, the 26-year-old shows his home in Sham Shui Po, a local neighbourhood full of toy stores, cafés, and old shops.

He currently lives in a 147-square-foot subdivided flat with a monthly rental of HK$4,800. “With the same price, I can probably rent a bigger flat in Nagoya, with separate compartments for toilet and shower,” he says. But he chooses to live in this cubicle for its cheap rent and proximity to local culture. “At first, it was hard to adapt to the noise outside. It woke me up almost every day. When it gets too loud, I will go to the campus or a café to edit my YouTube videos. I have also taken the time to look for jobs here upon graduation.”

Lingmuk first visited Hong Kong in 2014 on an exchange tour while studying Asian Studies in Japan. When he became an exchange student at Shenzhen University in 2015, he started visiting Hong Kong more often, and made some friends here.

“Hongkongers are very straightforward. When they do not like the food they are eating, they simply say it tastes bad. Japanese are more reserved on the other hand. Instead of noting it tastes bad, they would rather say it smells nice. I think it is too trying,” he says. He also thinks that Japanese people tend to go with the flow, but Hongkongers are more eager to explore challenges and try out new things. “I am very much inspired by this character of Hongkongers. They have taught me to initiate and fight for opportunities.”

Lingmuk had meant to follow his parents’ advice to become a civil servant, but Hong Kong has changed his mind. “My parents wanted me to get a stable job, but after I fell in love with Hong Kong in 2015, moving here became my dream. To realize my goal to study and work here, I worked very hard and found a well-paid job upon graduation in Japan so as to save more money.” After two years of hard work, he finally managed to save up HK$300,000 and moved to Hong Kong in 2019 to immerse himself in the city while pursuing a master’s degree in Chinese Studies.

Apart from his studies, the young Japanese also started learning Cantonese as a way to befriend Hongkongers outside his class. “Cantonese isn’t just the native language of Hong Kong people, it’s something they are proud of,” he stresses. Besides learning vocabularies and expressions from books, he is also keen to practice by chatting with waiters at cha chaan teng (Hong Kong-style café) in the neighborhood. His Cantonese has become more fluent and expressive since.

To share his life in Hong Kong, he created a YouTube channel in March last year, at a time when emigration started to become a popular topic among Hongkongers. “Firstly, I wanted to connect with more Hongkongers by talking about my life here in Cantonese. Secondly, some of my Hong Kong friends have turned pessimistic and were considering leaving due to what has happened over the past years. But I still find Hong Kong very attractive. Hong Kong has been inspiring me since 2015. I am most grateful for this city and the people here. That’s why I am making these videos to return the favor. I want to share the positive sides of Hong Kong and encourage Hong Kong people to look at their hometown in a new light.”

The job-hunting fresh graduate plans to stay in Hong Kong and move to a new neighborhood every year or two. “I want to learn about every district in Hong Kong. I am currently living in Sham Shui Po because I find Kowloon more authentic and down-to-earth. My other goal is to get the right of abode in Hong Kong. My parents are happy about my new life here because it has helped me become independent. I’ve grown more capable of making my own decisions and opinions, all because of Hong Kong!”

YouTube Channel：リンモク Lingmuk【廣東話學習Vlog】

Click here for Chinese version

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