During the Japanese rule and the early post-war years, he concentrated mainly on writing and directing plays, earning praise from the Tokyo Shimbun (東京新聞) as "Taiwan's first native playwright".
He also directed films such as The Election Campaign of Brother Ah San (阿三哥出馬), Sigh for Fireworks 1 and 2 (嘆煙花), Wrong Love (錯戀), and May 13 Heartbreaking Night (五月十三傷心夜).
As a result, Lin came from a wealthy background and went on to study Political Economy at Meiji University in Japan in 1938.
While at university, the manager of the Moulin Rouge in Shinjuku introduced him to the Toho Studio, where he worked as a director's assistant, laying the foundation for his future film career.
[2] From January 1943, Lin collaborated with local Taiwanese theater groups and organized study groups, producing popular works that were acclaimed as "the dawn of Taiwan's new drama movement"[3] and a milestone in the history of modern Taiwanese drama.