This autistic girl went to Japan: And you won’t believe what happened next (Bianca Toeps’ books)

When Bianca Toeps first set foot in Japan in 2008, she just knew: “I’m going to live here someday.” Flash forward 15 years, and she’s finally traded her tiny apartment in the Netherlands for an even tinier one in Tokyo. But it wasn’t always easy. Between that first visit and now, Toeps was diagnosed with autism at age 26, suffered several burnouts, and switched careers a time or two (or three) before becoming a web developer and a best-selling author. And just when she was all set for the big move, the pandemic derailed everything.

Why Japan? What makes it so appealing to someone with autism? Hint: it’s not the anime. And isn’t Tokyo way too busy and chaotic for an autistic person? Nope. Has Toeps found her ikigai yet? “Ugh, that’s for old people!”

If you’re looking for profound life lessons based on a random Japanese word that westerners have imbued with more significance than most Japanese people do, you won’t find them in this book. No juicy descriptions of “strange” subcultures, either, because despite what you see on TV, most people in Japan are totally normal. So what is this book about? It’s the inspiring story of an autistic woman who learns to deal with her own challenges (well, most of them anyway). With warmth and humor, she describes what it’s like to move halfway around the world, to a place where certain things are actually a bit easier for autistic folks. Except for revenue stamps. And bank accounts. And faxes.

Read more