About Jeff Case

About Me

I am a software engineer living and working in the San Francisco Bay Area who spent close to a decade living in Japan. Originally from Ohio, I graduated from Kent State University with a degree in Computer Science and moved to Japan shortly after graduation. I taught myself Japanese during my initial years there, living in quiet Mie Prefecture (home of Ise Grand Shrine!), and through daily practice I eventually achieved full professional fluency. In 2011, hungry for exciting new opportunities, I moved to the heart of Japan's tech sector, Tokyo, to begin my career as a software engineer. Then in 2015, I transferred to my current employer's US office in San Francisco.

I have worked for two major Japanese web services that have millions of daily users. These large-scale systems demanded fast and stable performance in all facets of their software, so on all my projects I worked hard to make them efficient, robust, and maintainable. I learned a lot about industrial-grade architecture, reliability, and scalability by getting to work regularly with some of Japan's most talented engineers. In addition, I did some hobbyist work during my earlier Japan years, including creating and operating a bilingual online guidebook with content tailored to those living in Mie. Some of the personal projects I have worked on over the years are detailed on the development page.

When not programming, I am often found looking at maps. I love exploring — finding stunning and/or interesting places, searching for tasty food, or just wandering around somewhere new. My fondness for exploring naturally lends itself to travel. I travel when I can and enjoy taking pictures, particularly in Japan, due to the abundance of modern environments, historic scenes, natural beauty, and good food available. You can see a sample of some of my photos taken there below, or feel free to check out the photography page for even more.