When China and Japan signed their Treaty of Peace and Friendship in 1978, they agreed that more people-to-people and cultural exchanges were needed to sustain their new relationship. Today, millions of Chinese and Japanese live, work or study in their neighboring country, all with different reasons and motives for making such a move. A Japanese director, who lives himself in China, has been documenting the remarkable stories of some of these migrants. Rory Coen reports.

Whether they are Chinese living in Japan, or Japanese living in China, their stories -- recorded in a documentary "The Reason I Live Here"-- have gone viral in China. Its director, Takeuchi Ryo, who operates out of a small workshop is quite philosophical about his motives to produce such films.

RYO TAKEUCHI DIRECTOR, HEZHIMENG WORKSHOP "What we want to do is to let more people know about Japan and eliminate their stereotypes, that's our biggest goal."

The idea of portraying Japan in this way came from his Chinese wife, also his producer. But she claims its popularity is all about its timing.

ZHAO PING PRODUCER, HEZHIMENG WORKSHOP "In 2015, many Chinese flooded into Japan for sightseeing, they came back with a growing interest in Japanese culture. That's when we started."

And for Takeuchi, his interest in China grew large after he met his wife."

RYO TAKEUCHI DIRECTOR, HEZHIMENG WORKSHOP "Initially, she was my motivation to learn Chinese history and Mandarin. Then it was through sheer eagerness that I wanted to know more about China because it's so interesting."

Talking to the locals in fluent Mandarin, he looks just like any other Chinese. But his family and friends worried a lot when he decided to settle down in Nanjing, of all places, a city which might not have looked too kindly on Japanese people, for historical reasons. Takeuchi doesn't deny events from 1937, or avoid the sensitive issue. And he admitted the locals were also quite rational.

RYO TAKEUCHI DIRECTOR, HEZHIMENG WORKSHOP "We are nearly here for six years now, but we have never experienced unfair treatment because of history."

And while enjoying his life here, Takeuchi also plans to let more Japanese know about China through his camera lens. Rory Coen, CGTN.