# Kimiyasu Morikawa (森川 公康)

> Software developer based in New York. Tech Lead at the New York Public Library, formerly a Senior Engineer at BCG Digital Ventures and CTO of a Tokyo-based startup.

Human-readable pages: [English](https://kimiyasu.net/), [日本語](https://kimiyasu.net/ja/). Contents are the same in both languages.

## Experience

From scaling AI-powered apps to leading startup M&A, I bridge the gap between complex engineering and business strategy. My work focuses on the intersection of Generative AI, scalable mobile/web architecture, and digital transformation.

I am currently a Tech Lead at the New York Public Library (NYPL), where I lead a dedicated team in integrating Generative AI and LLM technologies into our digital infrastructure. Our mission is to enhance the user experience and expand global access to one of the world's most extensive resource collections.

Previously, I worked for Boston Consulting Group (BCG) as a Senior Engineer. I led the technical side of multiple client-facing projects representing BCG Digital Ventures (currently branded as [BCG X](https://www.bcg.com/x/)), a tech & design focused business incubator within BCG. For example, I led a team of 10 engineers that built an AI-powered journaling app with React Native and Next.js, which reached 1M+ users. I worked closely with Venture Architects, Experience Designers and Growth Architects on business planning and go-to-market strategy.

Prior to these roles, I worked as the CTO of a Tokyo-based startup, navigating it to a successful M&A, and as a Consultant at a private think tank.

- The New York Public Library, New York: Tech Lead (2025 –). Leading the team that builds an AI research assistant over millions of digitized books. We are building a pipeline that cleans catalog data, removes duplicates and creates embeddings at scale, powering a search platform that combines vector and full-text search. I own the engineering and cloud architecture design, help set the project's direction, and handle discussions with other libraries and technology vendors.
- Boston Consulting Group (BCG Digital Ventures), Tokyo: Senior Engineer (2022 – 2023), Engineer (2021 – 2022). Led the technical side of client ventures at BCG's tech and design incubator (now BCG X). Led a team of 10 engineers building an AI-powered journaling app with React Native and Next.js that reached 1M+ users, working with Venture Architects, Experience Designers and Growth Architects on business planning and go-to-market.
- IACTA LLC, Tokyo: Founder (2020 –). My own small company for taking on work as an individual: client work, and running small services such as FilmFocus and AirHamLog.
- PopInsight, Inc., Tokyo: CTO (2017 – 2021), Lead Engineer (2017). Joined an early-stage Tokyo startup as lead engineer and became CTO. Led the development and scaling of its SaaS platform for remote user testing, and as a board member led the company through its acquisition.
- The Japan Research Institute, Tokyo: Consultant (2015 – 2017), Associate (2014 – 2015). Research and consulting for public-sector and corporate clients.
- Lancers, Inc., Tokyo: Engineering Intern (2012 – 2014). Worked as an engineer at an early-stage startup. Set up database read replicas and built a PHP routing layer to send queries to them, laying the groundwork for the service's early growth.

## Activities & Recognition

On a personal level, I'm interested in where analog technology meets digital. I build services and run research projects around amateur radio and film photography on my own.

Newest first. Format: year, category: title (Japanese title if different), URL, then a short description.

- 2026-09, Media: [Camera Clara](https://www.cameraclara.com/p/2025-japan-film-photography-research). Interviewed about the 2025 survey results (article, podcast and video).
- 2026-08, Media: [PetaPixel](https://petapixel.com/2026/08/17/kodak-has-overtaken-fujifilm-as-japans-film-brand-of-choice/). “Kodak Has Overtaken Fujifilm as Japan's Film Brand of Choice”, coverage of the 2025 survey.
- 2026-08, Media: [Kosmo Foto](https://kosmofoto.com/2026/08/japans-film-shooters-seem-to-be-shooting-less-but-film-sales-are-holding-steady/). “Japan's film shooters seem to be shooting less, but film sales are holding steady”, with my comments and charts.
- 2026-08, Media: [Digital Camera Watch](https://dc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/2135076.html) (デジカメWatch). Coverage of the 2025 survey results.
- 2026-08, Research: [Film Photography Survey 2025 results](https://www.film-photo.net/articles/film-survey-2025-result) (フィルム写真に関する実態調査2025 結果). 1,337 responses from film photographers in Japan. Kodak overtook Fujifilm in brand usage.
- 2026-07, Award: NYPL Digital Guiding Principles Award. Recognized by NYPL Digital for work as Tech Lead (summer 2026).
- 2026-04, Talk: [An Interpretable and Reproducible Deep Learning Approach for 3D Morphological Ceramic Classification: A case study of Sue ware in Japan](https://2026.caaconference.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2026/04/Paper_booklet.pdf). Co-presented with W. Tatsuda at CAA 2026, University of Vienna.
- 2026-04, Photography: [Carnegie Hall: Explorers Soirée, Suntory Hibiki Whisky Tasting](https://www.carnegiehall.org/Support/Membership/Notables/Slideshows/2026-Explorers-Suntory-Tasting-Event) (カーネギーホール Explorers Soirée: Suntory Hibiki Whisky Tasting). Event photography.
- 2026-03, Media: [Nagoya University press release](https://en.nagoya-u.ac.jp/news/articles/can-ai-learn-to-read-ancient-pottery-the-way-an-archaeologist-does/) (名古屋大学プレスリリース). “Can AI learn to read ancient pottery the way an archaeologist does?”
- 2026-02, Paper: [Deep learning-based morphological classification of ceramics: A case study of 3D point cloud analysis for Sue ware, Japan](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2026.106472). Journal of Archaeological Science 187, 106472 (with W. Tatsuda, R. Hori, H. Inoue).
- 2025-12, Photography: [Yuriko Yokohara, “Violets for my furs”](https://ameblo.jp/cd-lilysax/entry-12948753739.html) (横原由梨子『Violets for my furs』). Photographed the album cover.
- 2025-09, Interpreting: [POST Dev 2025: Q&A with Dr. Alan Kay](https://codezine.jp/news/detail/28175) (POST Dev 2025 アラン・ケイ氏 Q&A セッション). Live EN⇄JA interpretation.
- 2025-07, Talk: [Tokyo Film Photography Talks](https://luma.com/qhzmsuex). Co-hosted the event and talked about trends at film labs overseas (IPIAS Aoyama, Tokyo).
- 2025-05, Media: [PetaPixel](https://petapixel.com/2025/05/08/the-state-of-films-comeback-in-japan-and-whats-holding-it-back/). “The State of Film's Comeback in Japan (and What's Holding It Back)”, guest article.
- 2025-04, Media: [mono magazine (May 2, 2025 issue)](https://www.fujisan.co.jp/product/1261425/b/2681467/) (モノ・マガジン 2025年5月2日号). Survey data featured in the film compact camera special.
- 2025-03, Talk: [A preliminary 3D point cloud analysis of southern Maya pottery using deep learning](https://isac.w3.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/en/event/event20250313). SANTO Project 2024 International Seminar on 3D data and deep learning in archaeology and museology, Kanazawa University (with W. Tatsuda, A. Ichikawa).
- 2025-03, Media: [Digital Camera Watch](https://dc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/1667425.html) (デジカメWatch). Interview on the 2024 survey results.
- 2025-02, Photography: [withnews](https://withnews.jp/article/f0250211000qq000000000000000W07n10301qq000027791A). Photographs for an article about a Japanese sushi chef who moved to New York with his wife.
- 2025-01, Research: [Film Photography Survey 2024 results](https://www.film-photo.net/articles/film-survey-2024-result) (フィルム写真に関する意識調査2024 結果). 802 responses from film photographers in Japan.
- 2024, Service: [FilmFocus](https://www.film-photo.net/). Japanese media site for film photography, with a database of film labs across Japan and an annual survey of film photographers.
- 2023-01, Award: [Kokuga-kai Photography Division Kinki, 6th Open Space Exhibition](https://kokugasyashinbu-kinki.jpn.org/report.html) (第 6 回 国画会写真部 近畿オープンスペース展 公募展). Selected for the juried exhibition (Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art, Harada-no-Mori Gallery).
- 2021-08, Media: [Four approaches to the N+1 problem in GraphQL](https://zenn.dev/alea12/articles/15d73282c3aacc) (GraphQL で N+1 問題を解決する 4 つのアプローチ). Article on Zenn.
- 2021-04, Interpreting: [SATORI webinar: 5 Marketing Trends You Need to Know Post Covid-19](https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000100.000015718.html) (SATORI ウェビナー「海外事例から学ぶ！ポストコロナ時代で知っておくべき５つの最新マーケティングトレンド」). Interpreted for speaker Pam Didner.
- 2020-11, Media: [Enjoying ham radio while hiking](https://www.fujisan.co.jp/product/1064/b/2033368/) (山登りでアマチュア無線も楽しむ！). CQ ham radio, Nov 2020
- 2020-10, Media: [Ham Q&A column](https://www.fujisan.co.jp/product/1064/b/2022461/) (ハムのQ&A). CQ ham radio, Oct 2020
- 2020-08, Media: [Choosing your first antenna](https://www.fujisan.co.jp/product/1064/b/1998438/) (はじめての1本はこう選ぶ！ ビギナーハムのアンテナ選び). CQ ham radio, Aug 2020
- 2020-04, Media: [Digitizing your logs with AirHamLog](https://www.fujisan.co.jp/product/1064/b/1948272/) (AirHamLog を活用したログのデータ化). CQ ham radio, Apr 2020, “Digitize your paper logs” feature
- 2020-02, Media: [AirHamLog development diary](https://www.fujisan.co.jp/product/1064/b/1923340/) (AirHamLog 開発日誌). CQ ham radio, Feb 2020
- 2020-01, Media: [Start your 2020 ham life with AirHamLog](https://www.fujisan.co.jp/product/1064/b/1912321/) (AirHamLog で2020年のハムライフを始めよう！). CQ ham radio, Jan 2020
- 2020, Photography: [Shigemune Laboratory, Shibaura Institute of Technology](https://afd-lab.ee.shibaura-it.ac.jp/en/research/) (芝浦工業大学 重宗研究室). Photographs for the lab's research page.
- 2019-11, Media: [CQ ham radio (Dec 2019 issue)](https://www.fujisan.co.jp/product/1064/b/1900320/) (CQ ham radio 2019年12月号). Interview with the developer of AirHamLog.
- 2019-10, Award: [JARL All Cities and Guns Contest 2019](https://www.jarl.org/Japanese/1_Tanoshimo/1-1_Contest/all_cg/2019/entry.html#PN) (JARL 全市全郡コンテスト 2019). 1st place in the phone single-operator newcomer category (JJ1SXC).
- 2019-08, Media: [hamlife.jp](https://www.hamlife.jp/2019/08/16/airhamlog/). Launch coverage of AirHamLog.
- 2019-08, Service: [AirHamLog](https://air-hamlog.com/). Cloud logging service for amateur radio operators. 29k+ users and 5M+ logged contacts.
- 2018-10, Talk: [Four tools for building admin panels fast](https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/4-117920471/117920471) (管理画面の高速開発を支えるツール 4 選). 管理画面チラ見せナイト #07 (lightning talk)
- 2018-04, Media: [Nikkei xTECH](https://xtech.nikkei.com/atcl/nxt/column/18/00138/042000054/) (日経 xTECH). Quoted on the Iraq daily-reports search in a column on open government data.
- 2018-04, Media: [Netorabo (ITmedia)](https://nlab.itmedia.co.jp/nl/articles/1804/18/news072.html) (ねとらぼ). Full-text search for the SDF Iraq daily reports, built by one person in about three hours.
- 2018-04, Media: [GIGAZINE](https://gigazine.net/news/20180418iraq-reports-full-text-search/). Coverage of the Iraq daily-reports search.
- 2018-04, Service: [Iraq Daily Reports Search](https://note.com/alea12/n/nab5e724d853d) (イラク日報村). OCR'd and made searchable the Japan Self-Defense Forces' Iraq deployment daily reports (write-up on note).

## Tech Stack

I choose technologies to fit each project and have no strong attachment to any particular stack. Some that I have deep experience with:

- Languages: JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, Ruby, Elixir
- Frameworks: Ruby on Rails, React, React Native, Next.js, NumPy, Pandas, scikit-learn
- Infrastructure: AWS, Heroku, Vercel, Cloudflare

I have also made a few contributions to open-source projects, such as [Ruby on Rails](https://github.com/rails/rails/pull/41050) and [ExTwitter](https://github.com/parroty/extwitter/pull/71).

## Education

Originally from Saitama, Japan, I spent my youth in the US and Hong Kong. I graduated from [Waseda University](https://www.waseda.jp/top/en/) in 2014 with a Bachelor's degree in Economics with a minor in Software Engineering. I'm currently pursuing a Master of Science in Computer Science in Georgia Tech's [OMSCS](https://www.omscs.gatech.edu/) program.

## Contact

- GitHub: [alea12](https://github.com/alea12)
- Instagram: [_alea12](https://www.instagram.com/_alea12)
- Photography: [photography.kimiyasu.net](https://photography.kimiyasu.net/)
- Contact form: https://kimiyasu.net/contact/