Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Japanese author Toshikazu Kawaguchi is set in a small, basement café in Tokyo. At first glance, the café appears like any other, reminiscent of coffee shops that emerged in Japan during the late 1800s. However, what sets Nagare’s café apart is its unique offering: time travel. By sitting in a specific chair and following a ritual, customers can travel to any point in time, until the coffee they were served gets cold.
The novel unfolds through four interconnected stories, each featuring a character who time-travels seeking closure, a need for comfort or many other existential human emotions. These stories address themes such as relationships, miscarriages, birth, grief, and even Alzheimer’s.
The simplicity and childishness of the novel is often criticised, but I believe it’s what makes its strength and beauty. Toshikazu Kawaguchi grasps that simplicity is often more powerful than overly complex writing in transmitting a basic, yet often forgotten, message. The novel is comforting, the atmosphere created is safe and simple, the writing and the characters are uncomplicated elements which emphasise the author’s message.
All characters are looking for something they missed in the past, some stories are heartbreaking, others are futile, nonetheless, they leave us with a life lesson about simplicity and honesty. Before the coffee gets cold is an important reminder to appreciate life as it comes, something we too often forget to do.
“Japanese woman having a coffee” by Rawpixel Ltd is licensed under CC BY 2.0.