Yoshiko Someya moved back to Japan in 1980 after earning her Ph.D. to begin her long and accomplished career in academia. Her first faculty position was at the Kagoshima Keizai University in Japan and she went on to teach at Shukutoku University and Tokyo Woman’s Christian University. Tokyo Woman's University is one of the most prestigious women's universities in Japan, and Yoshiko Someya indicates it is very similar Bryn Mawr College.
Her teaching focused on many topics including social welfare, social policy, social gerontology, social theory, and family issues.
Someya also had the opportunity to be a visiting scholar at the Policy Study of University of Bristol in the United Kingdom and a visiting professor at the Institute of Ageing of the University of Putra Malaysia.
In addition to teaching courses, Someya has been a prolific researcher, publishing several books and journal articles and giving a number of talks internationally throughout her career. Since Japan has a mandatory retirement system, Yoshiko retired from full-time teaching and research in 2016.
Upon reflection of her time at the GSSWSR, Someya states she is “very thankful for my professors and friends who were so kind and helpful for me as a Japanese foreign student. Without their kind support, I am certain that I could not have completed the demanding course work of a Ph.D.”
Currently, Yoshika Someya attends international conferences and travels to Malaysia for various research projects. She serves as a board member of Active Aging Consortium Asia Pacific (ACAP). She has been a part of ACAP for nearly 20 years, and will be attending the 20 Year Anniversary Meeting in March 2025.