From Overreacted · · 2 min
Dan Abramov Is Looking for a Software Role in Japan
React co-creator Dan Abramov is ending his sabbatical and seeking an English-speaking engineering role in Japan with visa sponsorship.
In brief
React co-creator Dan Abramov is ending his sabbatical and seeking an English-speaking engineering role in Japan with visa sponsorship. Dan Abramov is open to new software engineering roles that offer Japan visa sponsorship, ideally supporting remote work from Kyoto. Originally reported by Overreacted.
Dan Abramov is job hunting
After ending his sabbatical, the React co-creator is seeking a new software engineering role that offers visa sponsorship in Japan.
“My sabbatical is soon coming to an end, and I am looking for a new job.”
Two decades in software engineering
Abramov has been programming for 20 years and working professionally for over 15, specializing primarily in JavaScript and TypeScript.
“I’ve dabbled in different languages, but the vast majority of my recent work has been in JavaScript and TypeScript.”
Recent consulting and Lean math
In 2025, he consulted teams on React performance and state management while contributing to Terence Tao's Lean math project.
“Mostly, I’ve been consulting teams using React on how to approach engineering challenges...”
Overhauling the Bluesky mobile client
At Bluesky, Abramov built React Native features, shaved seconds off Android startup times, and executed major UI refactors.
“Most of my engineering work focused on improving the app quality...”
Debugging upstream open-source tools
He tracked down obscure bugs in underlying projects like React Native and Reanimated, fixing long-standing ScrollView issues.
“Occasionally, I’ve had to do deep dive investigations into the underlying projects to file bugs or fixes there.”
Engineering leadership and team mentorship
Beyond writing code, Abramov mentored engineers on React mental models and collaborated with backend teams to protect product UX.
“Helping the team get a natural mental model for working with React.”
Eight years shaping React at Meta
From 2015 to 2023, Abramov co-created Create React App, designed Fast Refresh, and co-wrote the redesigned React documentation.
“Some of the more visible projects I was involved with include: The React Documentation... Fast Refresh... Create React App...”
Early impact with Redux
Before joining Meta, Abramov co-created Redux as a conference demo and authored popular tools like React Hot Loader and React DnD.
“...accidentally co-creating Redux as a demo for my conference talk.”
Prioritizing root causes and quality
He thrives on UI engineering, developer experience, and digging deep into root causes to build high-quality systems.
“I feel most useful when I’m able to dig into the root causes, and work with others on solving them.”
Choosing Kyoto for the long haul
After several extended stays in Kyoto, Abramov and his wife decided to leave London and settle down in Japan permanently.
“We’ve loved spending a whole decade in London, but this decade, Kyoto feels right.”
Targeting English-speaking teams
Since he is currently at beginner-level Japanese (N5), he needs an English-communicating team or a remote-friendly company.
“I haven’t learned Japanese yet, which significantly limits my options.”
How to reach Dan
If your company can sponsor a Japanese work visa and fits his background, reach out to Dan Abramov via email.
“If you can sponsor a software engineering visa in Japan and think I might be a good fit, please email dan.abramov@gmail.com.”
What matters most
Dan Abramov is open to new software engineering roles that offer Japan visa sponsorship, ideally supporting remote work from Kyoto.
