The year is almost over again, so just like every year it’s time for my year in review! In the previous part, you could read about how François and I tied the knot, how I made a whirlwind trip to the Netherlands, how I worked on the Prikkelplanner, and how I navigated my way through bureaucracy and visa issues. How did things continue? You can read all about it below!

In July I was back in the Netherlands for a short while. Just as briefly as a few months earlier, but once again for a good reason: Cynthia and I recorded the videos for the Prikkelplanner. In addition, I photographed four people. As a few months earlier, I stayed in all sorts of places: at my brother’s in The Hague, in a hotel in Almere, and, a new one this time, with Tjarda in Amsterdam. I also saw my father and stepmother, Riemer, Charis, and Hannah. All very gezellig, but also quite intense.

Because a revised edition of Maar je ziet er helemaal niet autistisch uit was released, I also had to stop by the studio to record new audiobook segments. Luckily, I got to do that with my favorite director, Miryanna.

I traveled to Arnhem to interview Eline for my new book, photographed three people in Maan’s studio, went shopping at Think Twice with Charlotte, and secretly stamped my hanko in a few library books.

This trip to the Netherlands affected me more than the previous one. I noticed how some things in the Netherlands had changed. I also had a number of good conversations with people, in which we saw things from a different perspective for the first time. I wrote about it on my blog back then as well – how it can sometimes feel as if the world stands still when you’re not somewhere. But of course it doesn’t, and sometimes that becomes suddenly crystal clear.

Back in Japan, my new visa was ready; I was now a Spouse of Permanent Resident. An enormous relief, because it meant I no longer had to submit my company’s financial statements every year. I raced straight from the airport to the immigration office to pick it up.

By then, daytime temperatures were well over 30 degrees, but luckily I found a lovely rooftop terrace to hang out on in the evenings. In general, Futako-Tamagawa became one of my new favorite places, because besides this rooftop terrace there’s also a mini Starbucks by the river, with a view of Mt. Fuji. What more could one want?!

François slowly started to feel more confident behind the wheel. We began with a small trip in a shared car, to a dam I had spotted on Google Maps. This dam had a kind of small train running along the side, which sounded fantastic to experience. But unfortunately, the train turned out to be closed for maintenance. That information was only listed on the Japanese-language part of the website.

August was the month when I really hit the brakes. My Japanese Co. Ltd. had to be dissolved, and that was going to cost me a lot of money – money I no longer had in my bank account after three years of struggling on a Business Manager visa. I negotiated the rent with François and told him that big trips were unfortunately off the table for a while. Luckily, we live in Japan, and there are plenty of fun things to do locally too.

We celebrated my birthday in Hachioji. We slept at my office, went swimming at the local pool, and ate at the steak-and-fries restaurant Bikkuri Donki.

François discovered that driving was a lot more fun in a cool car. We rented the Suzuki Swift Sport he’d been dreaming about for ages and went on a road trip through Chiba. There was a similar kind of underwater observatory to the one in Shikoku, though this one was uglier and much busier. But hey, we had an excuse to go somewhere.

Although I enjoy trips like these, they always take a lot of energy. The day after, I’m a total zombie, and even on the day itself I’m always the one who wants to take it a bit slower. François always wants to do more than is actually possible – I think he should be driving a DeLorean instead of a Swift – so our first road trip wasn’t an unqualified success. Halfway through the day I was completely overstimulated and not very pleasant anymore.

We decided to give it another try, but this time with a hotel stay and a slightly more relaxed schedule. Aviation museum, hotel, mountain. But then, on the way there, we drove past a gigantic Buddha, which of course still had to be squeezed into the plan. Fine – dead the next day, then.

On the way back, we also made a brief stop at a place that had been on my list for ages: the Dutch windmill “De Liefde” in Sakura, Chiba. You can read more about our trips in this blog.

In September, the Prikkelplanner was released. After taking the photos for the accompanying giveaway, I decided to put our cats in front of the camera as well.

François and I rented a car again, this time to go to an abandoned naval base in Ibaraki and the Tsukuba Space Center. We also visited a small dinosaur expo in a park near our home.

I went for a walk around Lake Tama with Elyse. It wasn’t the nicest weather, nor was it my best day, but it’s good to know someone to 1) speak Dutch with, and 2) talk about the things that concern us as (former) Business Managers.

Amid a growing anti-foreigner sentiment, the Japanese government keeps adding and tightening rules, which gives me a very unsafe feeling. Luckily, I’ve just switched to a Spouse visa myself, but even for that the costs are going up dramatically. All kinds of extra requirements are also being added for permanent residency, but I’m still two years away from that. Curious to see what they’ll have come up with by then.

For Elyse, the situation is more unpleasant: she and her husband are returning to the Netherlands early next year. With the new requirements set by the government (for example, six times as much capital!), it simply no longer makes sense to continue their start-up in Japan. As if things weren’t chaotic enough already with dissolving my Kabushiki Kaisha, I decided to pile on even more work for myself; I chose not to sign the contract for my new book, and instead publish it myself.

I also gave a number of online talks and trainings in September. Because I’d like to do this more often, I created a dedicated page on my website. Book me!

Besides cherry blossom season, autumn is an ideal time to visit Japan. Every year in October, people come to visit, and this year was no different. First Charlotte came, followed by my brother. Unfortunately, during this period I also suffered a lot from pain and cramps, likely caused by endometriosis. I wrote more about that in this blog.

I was happily being creative; I made a first sketch for the cover of Autastisch leven and went out with François to take photos. I still need to edit his, by the way.

In November, I continued working on the cover for Autastisch leven. After about six versions, I felt it was right, and decided to launch the pre-order campaign. To my great joy, it went incredibly well, and many of you have already placed orders. (Haven’t ordered yet? Then do so quickly, because pre-orders help me tremendously!)

I also announced that I’ll be coming to the Netherlands. Originally, the plan was to come from March 4 through April 14, but due to a lecture booking my return trip has been moved to April 21. By the way, do you work at an organization that would like to book me for a talk? Then get in touch via boeken@toeps.nl. I’d also love to do some photography while I’m in the Netherlands. I’ll be scheduling shoot days later, but if you have your own idea, feel free to email me at fotografie@toeps.nl.

In November, I took the shinkansen to visit Yvonne, a Dutch friend and fellow writer who regularly stays in Sennan with her Japanese boyfriend. I was also allowed to stay overnight, in the guesthouse. You can read more about the trip in this blog.

Although October has the reputation, November is actually the nicest autumn month. The temperature is pleasant, the trees are dressed in their beautiful fall colors, and in true Japanese fashion, it’s full-blown Christmas everywhere from November 1 onward.

My friend Kei had asked me whether I’d like to give a lesson about the Netherlands at her daughter Emma’s school. That sounded hilarious, and besides, Kei still owed me one – so I said yes. I wrote this blog about the experience.

After that, it was time for the JLPT, the infamous Japanese language exam. I took N3, and although at first I thought I definitely wasn’t going to pass, I walked out with a feeling of… well, I’m not really sure. I was mostly in shock at how strict the organization was this time. The results won’t be out until early February, so you’ll hear about it later.

Maybe it had to do with the pressure of self-publishing, two consecutive Sundays full of obligations (first the JLPT, then book-related things), having to be careful with money, or the lack of time for each other because François and I were both busy. Or with the vague pain I experience on and off, and the cycle-suppressing medication I’ve just started. Maybe it was simply the short winter days, and the chaotic final days of the year. Either way, I felt sad and lonely.

In the end, I realized I needed two things: rest, and good conversations. I decided to take a semi-holiday until the new year. I pushed my self-imposed book deadlines back a little and chose to do things at an easy pace. I’m not doing nothing; for example, I’m typing a blog right now. But it no longer feels like I’m constantly chasing myself.

I also had some really nice conversations and meet-ups. I talked on the phone with Charis, whom I know from Hong Kong, met in Amsterdam last summer, and who now lives in Thailand. I also met up with Jacqueline, a Dutch woman who lives nearby. We walked through a park, drank tea, and talked about life in Japan and internet weirdos.

As I said above, I’ll be heading to the Netherlands for almost two months in March. I’m so excited about this! Of course, there’s still a ton to do before I go – for example, I need to finish my book (minor detail), get assigned a Dutch VAT number, and hustle up as much money as possible to pay for everything. But I’ve done this before to some extent, so I think it’ll all work out.

When I get back from the Netherlands in April, I’ll actually need to jump straight back into renewing my visa. But hopefully that’ll be a breeze this time.

My wish/goal/vision (insert vision board, we’re ~manifesting~) for 2026 is that my new book does really well, that I give more talks and trainings, that I can spend longer stretches of time in the Netherlands more often, and that maybe an English version of my new book will happen too. On top of that, I’ll of course keep taking photos and building websites (you see very little of that in this year-in-review, but code isn’t exactly thrilling content). I hope that next year brings lots of visits from friends and family to Japan, that I keep building new friendships here, and that I get to see much more of this beautiful country. 2026, let’s go!