Bookish Brewing

Some books do not rely on thrilling plots or shocking twists to make a lasting impression. Instead, they invite you to pause, reflect, and embrace the delicate beauty of fleeting moments. Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi is one such book. A quiet yet profound Japanese novel, it weaves together four interconnected stories that revolve around a small café in Tokyo where time travel is possible, but with rules that are as limiting as they are fascinating.

This review will take you through how the book begins, explore each of the four stories, explain the rules of the mysterious café chair, and reflect on its slow but captivating pacing. Finally, we will look at who this book is perfect for and learn more about the author himself.

How the Story Begins

The novel opens inside a small, dimly lit café called Funiculi Funicula, tucked away in the streets of Tokyo. At first glance, it looks like any other coffee shop: quiet, unassuming, and a little old-fashioned. But this café has a secret that makes it extraordinary. It offers its customers the chance to travel back in time.

However, the café is not generous with this gift. The time travel comes with strict rules, and breaking them has severe consequences. The idea is not to change the future, because no matter what happens, the present remains the same, but to provide people with closure, understanding, or emotional healing.

This setting becomes the backdrop for four stories about different individuals who, for their own deeply personal reasons, choose to sit in that magical chair and revisit their past.

The Rules of the Cafe Chair

Before diving into the stories, it is important to understand the rules of time travel in the café, because they shape the way each character’s journey unfolds. The rules are:

1. You can only travel back in time while sitting in a particular chair.
   The chair is usually occupied by a ghostly woman reading a book. You must wait until she leaves to sit on it.
2. You cannot leave the chair during your journey.
   No matter what happens in the past, you must remain seated.
3. You can only meet people who have visited the café.
   This limits the range of interactions and keeps the journeys personal.
4. No matter what you do, the present will not change.
   This rule emphasizes acceptance over regret. Time travel here is for closure, not rewriting life.
5. You must finish your journey before the coffee gets cold.
   If you fail to return before the coffee cools, you risk becoming a ghost like the woman who haunts the chair.

These rules give the book its haunting beauty. The characters are bound by limitations, yet within those boundaries, they find freedom and peace.

The Four Stories

1. The Lovers

The first story follows Fumiko, a young woman who has just been abandoned by her boyfriend, Goro. He is moving to America to pursue his career, leaving her behind with heartbreak and questions. Fumiko chooses to travel back to the last conversation they had in the café, hoping to change his mind.

But as the rules dictate, she cannot alter the present. Instead, what she gains is a deeper understanding of herself, her own strength, and the acceptance that sometimes love cannot be held onto. This story sets the tone for the novel. Time travel is not about fixing the past, but about finding peace with it.

2. Husband and Wife

The second story centers on Kohtake, a woman caring for her husband, Fusagi, who is slowly losing his memory to Alzheimer’s. One day, she discovers a letter addressed to her in Fusagi’s handwriting, which he refuses to let her read.

Desperate for clarity, Kohtake uses the chair to travel back to a time when her husband was still lucid. Through this journey, she sees the love and devotion he still holds for her, even in the face of his illness. The story beautifully portrays the bittersweet pain of watching a loved one slip away, and the comfort of knowing that love endures even when memory does not.

3. The Sisters

In the third tale, the focus shifts to Hirai, a free-spirited woman who runs a local bar. Hirai has distanced herself from her family, especially her younger sister, Kumi, who repeatedly visits the café to beg Hirai to come back home. But Hirai, stubborn and guilt-ridden, always refuses.

Tragedy strikes when Kumi dies in a traffic accident. Grief overwhelms Hirai, and she finally uses the café’s chair to revisit her sister one last time. In that fleeting moment, she receives Kumi’s forgiveness and love. This story is perhaps the most heart-wrenching, reminding readers about the weight of unresolved relationships and the importance of reconciliation before it is too late.

4. Mother and Child

The final story follows Kei, the waitress at the café. Kei is pregnant but has a weak heart. Doctors warn her that carrying the baby to full term might risk her life. In a deeply emotional turn, Kei uses the chair to meet her unborn daughter in the future.

This story stands apart because it is the only one where the time traveler goes forward instead of backward. Kei’s conversation with her child is tender, heartbreaking, and filled with courage. It highlights the sacrifices parents make and the bittersweet joy of knowing you may not be around to watch your child grow.

The Pace and Style of the Book

One of the most noticeable aspects of Before the Coffee Gets Cold is its slow pacing. Unlike fast-moving thrillers or complex fantasy novels, Kawaguchi’s writing is calm, deliberate, and almost meditative. Some readers might find this pace too gentle, but for many, it is exactly what makes the book special.

The novel asks you to sit quietly, sip the coffee of life, and reflect on themes of love, regret, forgiveness, and closure. Each story unfolds like a conversation you overhear in a cozy café: personal, intimate, and deeply human.

The tone can feel melancholic at times, but it is never hopeless. Instead, it reassures readers that while we cannot change our past, we can change how we live with it.

Who Will Love This Book?

This is not a book for readers seeking dramatic action or shocking twists. Instead, it is for those who love character-driven, emotional storytelling.

You will enjoy this book if you:

• Love quiet, reflective novels.
• Appreciate Japanese literature and its focus on subtle emotions.
• Have ever wished you could revisit a moment from your past, not to change it, but to say what was left unsaid.
• Enjoy books that deal with themes of memory, love, loss, and healing.

It is also perfect for readers who do not mind slow pacing and want a book that feels more like a warm cup of tea on a rainy day than a rollercoaster ride.

About the Author: Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Toshikazu Kawaguchi is a Japanese playwright, director, and novelist. Before the Coffee Gets Cold was originally written as a play for the theater company 1110 Productions, which he founded. The play was later adapted into a novel and became an international bestseller.

Following the success of this book, Kawaguchi expanded the universe of Funiculi Funicula café into sequels:

• Tales from the Café (2017, English translation 2020)
• Before Your Memory Fades (2021, English translation 2022)
• Before We Say Goodbye (2023, English translation 2024)

Together, these books form a touching series about human emotions, regrets, and the healing power of understanding.

Before the Coffee Gets Cold is a quiet masterpiece. Its strength lies not in plot twists or action but in its ability to touch the soul. Through four heartfelt stories, Kawaguchi shows us that while we cannot change our past, we can find closure and peace in understanding it.