Text: Teddy LAW（Parks and Trails） Photography: Kato Masahiko（MASAまさ千里走）
Mr Kato Masahiko’s first impression of Hong Kong was of “a city full of energy”. While gazing up at the towering International Finance Centre, he couldn’t help but dream about establishing his own company. One year later, that dream had been realised.
Originally from Japan, Kato had been travelling back and forth between home and Hong Kong for work since 2005, before finally settling in Hong Kong in 2018. Kato’s career is as a financial adviser and investor, but he moonlights as a YouTuber. The content he posts on YouTube has nothing to do with investment, however, it is a channel dedicated to running. Over two years ago, Kato was deeply impressed after watching a video by a Japanese YouTuber about long-distance trail running, and decided to launch the ‘MASA まさ千里走’ channel. The channel has since attracted over 3,500 subscribers and boasts more than 180 videos.
Kato has always been a keen runner, whether in Japan or Hong Kong, he goes out for a jog almost every day. At the age of 45 he took up marathon running, and in the years since, his personal bests have consistently been “sub-3” (completing a marathon in under three hours).
Kato’s eye for investment has translated into a knack for social media. Two years after launching the channel, he realised that long-distance running alone could not provide enough content for his videos, so he began incorporating trail running elements, tapping into a booming trend.
Producing Hiking Videos With Local Flavor
In both video titles and replies to comments, viewers have spotted Kato’s use of Hong Kong-style expressions. He also frequently throws in casual Cantonese phrases to describe the route, which add a real sense of warmth. When he first launched the channel, he assumed that English and Japanese-language content would be his niche, only to discover that 90% of his audience were local to Hong Kong. From then on, he utilised online translation tools and sought advice from Hong Kong colleagues on local slang, learning to write in Cantonese.
“I felt it would be rude not to speak Cantonese within my capabilities,”’ he remarked. Kato also recalls that on both occasions he visited Kowloon Peak’s Suicide Cliff, he was guided by kind-hearted locals who saved him from getting lost. He admits it was a pity that his lack of Cantonese meant he couldn’t engage in deeper conversation at the time. Despite the many challenges of learning Cantonese, he continues to practise regularly.
As well as utilising authentic local vocabulary, Kato also treks routes that are quintessentially Hong Kong: ‘Needle Hill-Grassy Hill-Tai Mo Shan’, ‘Traversing Hong Kong Island’, ‘Hong Kong’s Four Lakes’, ‘Pui-Ling Mountain Traverse’, ‘Heart of Hong Kong’ etc… Even the challenging mountain trail known as ‘Devil’s Fist’ was no match for him. What he finds most grueling, however, was Hong Kong’s humid and stifling weather—”Summer is hell!” he proclaims. That said, even during the sweltering summer months, he doesn’t “take a break from the heat”; he simply heads up the mountain with a bottle of ice-cold water and his cameras, continuing to run and hike as usual.
How Hiking Culture Differs in Hong Kong and Japan
He currently heads out once or twice a week, aiming to publish a video every week. With the current trends towards instagramification, it is not uncommon to see hikers taking selfies without regard for others; Kato, however, adheres to the Japanese virtue of not troubling others, deliberately choosing weekdays to avoid disturbing other hikers during filming.
Having traversed many trails, his favourites remain on the Hong Kong Island. The diverse scenery of beaches, mountains and cityscapes are able to blend into one. He believes Hong Kong’s trails are well-maintained and, with many located near MTR stations, are extremely convenient and accessible.
Kato speaks highly of Hong Kong’s mountains, whilst Hong Kongers regard Japan as a prime hiking destination; he has also observed a difference in attitudes towards hiking between the two places. In the eyes of the Japanese, the mountain feels like something special. People invariably picture fully equipped hikers; most do not take to the mountains on a whim, as hiking is seen as an activity reserved for enthusiasts. The situation in Hong Kong is quite different: “[the mountains] feel like somewhere everyone goes. You even see young couples going on dates there. In Japan, you almost never see people going on dates in the mountains.”Having hiked and run in Hong Kong for many years, has Kato’s impression of the city changed? Whenever friends ask him where to go in Hong Kong, he always replies: “When you come to Hong Kong, go to the mountains!” He suggests that no matter which hotel you stay in, the mountains are always just a stone’s throw away.
‘Hong Kong’s mountains are amazing!’
