From Hong Kong to Tokyo - A Nonlinear Path into Tech

Hey, I’m Timothy. I’m a software engineer based in Tokyo, originally from Hong Kong.

This isn’t one of those stories where everything goes according to plan.
In fact, it rarely did.

• I didn’t get great grades in high school.

• I didn’t enter university right after.

• I even changed majors — and later, careers.

My path was all over the place.

One day, while working in my old industry, I found myself asking:

Why am I doing this? What’s the point?

That question led to action.
I quit.
I joined a coding bootcamp.
I studied full-time for 4 months.
I landed my first role at an international blockchain company.
Then I left again — this time, for Tokyo.

After a year learning Japanese, I restarted my career here as a full-time software engineer at a startup.

It’s been uncertain, messy, and totally worth it.

🧠 What I’ve learned so far:

• You don’t need a perfect start to end up in a good place.

• Progress isn’t always loud — but it compounds.

• Your past doesn’t disqualify your future.

📝 I’m now documenting my thoughts on career, software, growth, and things I’m building — both technically and personally.
👉 javaskr.com

👀 I’ve grown the most from working with teams that value curiosity, speed, and empathy — happy to connect with folks who share that — or you’re just curious about how I made the jump — feel free to check out what I’ve been working on (by LinkedIn, medium…)

You never know who you’ll be tomorrow. Take the step today.