The independently bankrolled Toronto entrepreneur relocated to Japan solo at 34. His YouTube project centers on a mantra he repeats on camera: there is no life later.
I invested my own capital into a musician because I had faith in him before the market caught on. That's the essence of the work. Spot the potential before anyone else does, and pay the cost to be early.”— Derek HuiTOKYO, THAILAND, September 17, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Derek Hui, a Toronto-raised entrepreneur who bankrolled the rise of singer Anders before leaving his comfortable life behind to relocate to Tokyo solo in 2023, is commemorating three years since that move with a documentary series capturing the journey.
Hui, who taught himself photography, launched the Mariner Agency, a Toronto-based wedding company that captured over 400 weddings, with Hui personally behind the lens for 300 of them. Between ages 24 and 31, he guided music acts, financing every step through his photography earnings. He personally bankrolled singer Anders and was instrumental in the connections, artistic direction, and campaign behind “Love No More,” Anders’ partnership with Loud Luxury. In 2023, at 34, Hui departed Toronto to begin anew in Tokyo, arriving without language skills and without any contacts.
He captured it all on camera. Three years later, that footage has become a YouTube documentary series (@imderekhui), exploring the finances, the bonds, the everyday struggles, and the reasoning behind the leap.
“Love No More,” which debuted on Armada Music in August 2018, topped one million streams within 48 hours, secured a spot on the Canadian Hot 100, charted across the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia, and earned triple platinum status from Music Canada, alongside gold certifications in Australia and New Zealand. Hui operated without a record label. He self-financed Anders’ growth before Armada Music picked up the single.
“I put my own money into an artist because I believed in him before the market did,” Hui stated. “That’s the whole job. See it before other people see it, and pay for the right to be early.”
Hui, now 37, resides in Azabujuban, Tokyo. Fresh episodes of the series drop roughly every two weeks, produced alongside Tokyo-based editor and videographer Darren Ha.
FIND DEREK HUI YouTube: youtube.com/@imderekhui Instagram: instagram.com/everything_derek TikTok: tiktok.com/@everything_derek Substack: letters.derekhui.com All links: linktr.ee/everythingderek
ABOUT DEREK HUI Derek Hui is a Toronto-born entrepreneur and content creator based in Tokyo, Japan. He picked up photography on his own at 21 and established the Mariner Agency, a Toronto wedding studio responsible for over 400 weddings, 300 of which Hui shot himself. From age 24 to 31, he managed music artists, covering all expenses through his photography work. He self-funded the career of singer Anders, co-created the NST Collective around him with William Nguyen (Photo Will), and was key in the connections, creative vision, and launch of Loud Luxury and Anders’ “Love No More,” which went triple platinum with Music Canada. He additionally managed Always Never, The Theorist, and Aria Ohlsson, and has launched several e-commerce ventures. In 2023, at 34, he relocated to Tokyo alone and started recording his experiences on YouTube, a project rooted in the conviction that there is no life later. He also writes a newsletter on Substack.
MEDIA Derek Hui is open to interviews in English from Tokyo (JST). High-resolution images and episode links can be provided upon request.
Derek Hui
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