Name: Jiji's review of Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Item: Before the Coffee Gets Cold
Rating: 3.5
Author: Jiji

Toshikazu Kawaguchi

What would you change if you could go back in time? In a small back alley in Tokyo, there is a café which has been serving carefully brewed coffee for more than one hundred years. But this coffee shop offers its customers a unique experience: the chance to travel back in time. In Before the Coffee Gets Cold, we meet four visitors, each of whom is hoping to make use of the café's time-travelling offer, in order to: confront the man who left them, receive a letter from their husband whose memory has been taken by early onset Alzheimer's, to see their sister one last time, and to meet the daughter they never got the chance to know. But the journey into the past does not come without risks: customers must sit in a particular seat, they cannot leave the café, and finally, they must return to the present before the coffee gets cold . . . Toshikazu Kawaguchi's beautiful, moving story - translated from Japanese by Geoffrey Trousselot - explores the age-old question: what would you change if you could travel back in time? More importantly, who would you want to meet, maybe for one last time?

Before the Coffee Gets Cold

コーヒーが冷めないうちに

Lindy

I cannot change those sad times of yours. 

The magazine piece on the urban legend had stated, 

'At the end of the day, whether one returns to the past or travels to the future, the present does not change. So it raises the question: just what is the point of that chair?'

But Kazu still goes on believing that, no matter what difficulties people face, they will always have the strength to overcome them, It just takes heart. And if the chair can change someone's heart, it clearly has its purpose.

But with her cool expression, she will just say, 'Drink the coffee before it gets cold.'

'But...' Miki smiled bashfully as she took a little step closer. 'I am really glad for the life you gave me.'

It takes courage to say what has to be said. It no doubt took Miki all of her courage to express her feelings to the mother she had just met. Her voice wavered with uncertainty, but it conveyed her true feelings.

Large teardrops began flowing from Kei's eyes.

But giving birth to you is the only thing I will ever be able to do for you.

Miki also began crying. But using both hands to wipe away the tears, she smiled sweetly.

'Mum.' She said it in a nervous, excited voice but Kei heard it clearly.

At that moment, Kei's heart sang with happiness: she was the mother of this child. She wasn't just a parent—she was the mother of the girl standing before her. She was unable to stop the tears from gushing.

The present didn't change for Kohtake, but she banned everyone from using her maiden name and changed her attitude towards Fusagi. She would be with Fusagi to continue being his wife, even though she had vanished from his memory. Hirai abandoned her successful bar to rejoin her family. While repairing her relationship with her parents, she was learning the traditional ways of the inn from square one.

Nothing about Fusagi changed, but Kohtake came to enjoy her conversations with him. Hirai had still lost her sister, but the photo she sent to the cafe showed her looking happy with her parents.

The present hadn't changed—but those two people had. Both Kohtake and Hirai returned to the present with a changed heart.

I was so absorbed in the things that I couldn 't change, I forgot the most important thing.

Filling in for her, Fumiko had been by Miki's side for these fifteen years. Nagare had been there for Miki as her father, showering her with love, no doubt going some way to make up for her absence. Also filling in for her, Kazu had lavished Miki with kindness, playing the role of mother and big sister. She realized that there had been all these loving people around Miki, earnestly supporting her growth for the fifteen years she had been gone, wishing for her happiness.

Thank you for growing up so happily and healthily. Just by growing up so fit and well, you have made me so happy. That's all I want to say to you ... this is how I feel deep down.

'Miki...' Leaving her flowing tears unwiped, Kei gave her best smile to Miki. 'Thank you, for the honour of having you.'

i know you would've been such a great mother, kei

Can you forgive me that all I could do was to bring you into this world?

We must become friends before this coffee cools.

Thinking this, a heartening feeling of elation filled her chest—an encounter between people ten years apart.

Her father's death left her in a dark place emotionally. She had encountered death for the first time, and referred to it as the very dark box. Once you climbed inside that box, you never got out. Her father was trapped in there—a place where you encountered no one, awful and lonely. 

'So why don't you smile every day so that your father can smile from his box? Our smiles allow him to smile. Our happiness allows your father to be happy in his box.'

She realized that only a deep love and understanding of her husband would have allowed her mother to say those things.

People don't see things and hear things as objectively as they might think. The visual and auditory information that enters the mind is distorted by experiences, thoughts, circumstances, wild fancies, prejudices, preferences knowledge, awareness, and countless other workings of the mind.

Kei wasn't afraid to die. Her anxiety and sadness stemmed from the thought of not being there to see her child grow up.

'But I'm really scared,' Kei muttered in a trembling voice. 'I wonder if my child will be happy.

'Will Mama's baby be lonely? Will that make you cry?' She talked to the child as she always did. 'I might only be able to have you, my child. Will you forgive me?

'I'm scared... the thought of not being there for my child is frightening,' she said, looking directly at Nagare. 'I don't know what I should do. I want my child to be happy. How can such a simple wish be so terribly scary?' she cried.

Nevertheless, she was naturally sociable and free-spirited-an expert at enjoying life. This was one of 'Kei's talents for living happily', as Hirai would say.

Things are still a bit awkward with my parents, but I feel returning home was for the best. I just think that if Kumi's death had led to unhappiness for both me and my parents, then that unhappiness would have been her only legacy.

So that's why I intend to lead a life that creates a more wonderful legacy for Kumi's life. I guess you never thought I could be so serious.

As soon as Kumi was out of sight, she dropped her head and her tears fell from her face and landed like rain on the table. She felt the grief surge from the bottom of her heart. She wanted to scream and bawl, but she couldn't cry out.

If she did, Kumi would hear it. She desperately covered her mouth to stop herself from yelling her sister's name and with shoulders trembling she muted her voice and cried. 

How kindly you look at me after I've been so horrible for so long. You held on to these kind feelings while you continued to wait for me for so long. Always wishing we could work together at the inn. Never giving up. But I...

I see now that you suffered by having me as your older sister. I'm sorry. 

That dream had not changed, and nor had her little sister, who was there in front of her with tears of joy streaming down her face. Her little sister Kumi, who had loved her big sis with all her heart, had, time after time, come to persuade her to return to the family, never giving up. While her parents had disowned her, Kumi had hung on to the belief that Hirai would come home. How sweet her little sister still was. Always the little girl, always following her around. 'Big Sis! Big Sis!' Hirai felt more love for Kumi than she ever had before.

Water flows from high places to low places. That is the nature of gravity. Emotions also seem to act according to gravity. When in the presence of someone with whom you have a bond, and to whom you have entrusted your feelings, it is hard to lie and get away with it. The truth just wants to come flowing out. This is especially the case when you are trying to hide your sadness or vulnerability. It is much easier to conceal sadness from a stranger, or from someone you don't trust. Hirai saw Kei as a confidante with whom she could share anything. The emotional gravity was strong. Kei was able to accept anything—forgive anything —that Hirai let flow out. A single kind word from Kei could cut the cords of tension that ran through her.

To her, it seemed a place where time stood still.

The destinations he made a note of were all the places that he had visited with her. She didn't notice at the time. She couldn't see. These notes were the last hand-hold for Fusagi, who was gradually forgetting who she was.

So I ask you never to forget one thing. You are my wife, and if life becomes too hard for you as my wife, I want you to leave me.

You don't have to stay by me as a nurse. If I am no good as a husband, then I want you to leave me. All I ask is that you can do what you can as my wife. We are husband and wife after all. Even if I lose my memory, I want to be together as husband and wife. I cannot stand the idea of us staying together only out of sympathy.

This is something I cannot say to your face, so I wrote it in a letter.

The kindness in his smile seemed infinite. (...)

Once she had her hands firmly on the cup, he turned his back.

It was as if their time as a couple had reached its end. A large tear began to form in her eye.

'My love,' she cried out without thinking. He did not turn round. His shoulders appeared to be trembling ever so slightly. While watching his back, she drank the coffee in one go. She drank it in one gulp, not out of a sense of urgency that the coffee was about to go cold, but rather out of respect for Fusagi, whose gentle back was turned to ensure she could quickly and safely return to the present. Such was the depth of his kindness.

'I can't let the coffee go cold,' she said and brought the cup close to her mouth.

'So I forget? I forget you?' he mumbled, looking down.

Hearing this, she was overwhelmed by confusion. She didn't even know why there was a coffee cup in front of her.

She looked at him in trepidation. Staring at him, she noticed how forlorn his expression was now. She had never imagined that he could look that way. Lost for words, she couldn't even maintain eye contact and found herself casting her eyes down.

By giving no reply, she had answered his question with a yes.

'I see. I feared as much,' he murmured sadly. He bowed his head so deeply his neck looked like it might break. Her eyes welled with tears. After being diagnosed with Alzheimer's, he had struggled each day with the dread and anxiety of losing his memory. Yet she, his wife, had not seen how he had borne these thoughts and feelings alone. On learning that she had come from the future, the first thing he had wanted to know was whether he had forgotten her, his wife. This realization filled her with both joy and sorrow.

It gave her the strength to look him in the face, without wiping away her tears. She smiled broadly at him so he might interpret her tears as those of joy.

She had resigned herself to the fact that one day he would completely forget who she was. She was always preparing herself. If it happens, she thought, I will care for him as a nurse. I am a nurse, so I can do that.

cherish

“you may not be able to change the past, but you can choose how to live today.” 

Una mesa, un café y una decisión. Eso es todo lo que hace falta para ser feliz. Una novela sobre el amor, el tiempo perdido y las oportunidades que están por llegar. Un rumor circula por Tokio... Oculta en uno de sus callejones hay una pequeña cafetería que merece la pena visitar no solo por su excelente café, sino también porque, si eliges bien la silla donde sentarte, puedes regresar al pasado. Pero como incluso lo increíble está sujeto a limitaciones, no podrás salir de la cafetería mientras dure el viaje, volverás cuando el café se enfríe y, hagas lo que hagas, el presente no cambiará. A través de las emocionantes historias de cuatro clientes que se atreven a embarcarse en esta aventura por motivos diferentes, Antes de que se enfríe el café nos ofrece un relato atemporal sobre el amor, las oportunidades perdidas y la esperanza de un futuro que siempre está por llegar. La crítica ha dicho... « Antes de que se enfríe el café está destinada a convertirse en un éxito internacional.» Publisher's Weekly «Más de un millón de ejemplares vendidos.» The Bookseller «Una lectura memorable y cautivadora.» Books and Bao «A través de sus cuatro personajes principales, Kawaguchi demuestra una profunda comprensión de las relaciones y del amor.» The Straits Times «Una lectura inspiradora y llena de esperanza que se queda contigo mucho después de que hayas terminado de leer. Hará las delicias de los entusiastas de la cultura japonesa con su evocador y romántico retrato de Tokio.» Pop Culture Bandit Citas de lectores: «Un tema complejo, pero que se trata de una forma aparentemente simple, hace de esta una inolvidable novela. Las emociones que evoca son eternas y universales: el amor en todas sus formas, joven y fresco, maduro y asentado, o el de una madre por su hijo nonato. Completamente delicioso, con una profundidad sorprendente. Un libro maravilloso.» « Antes de que se enfríe el café es una encantadora e inteligente historia acerca de cómo, no importa cuánto lo intentemos, no podemos cambiar el pasado y solo nos queda aprender de nuestros errores y crecer. Disfruté mucho de este emotivo relato.» «Me gustaron los personajes tan idiosincráticos y su amable sentido del humor, que se deja entrever de vez en cuando. Si estás buscando una lectura breve y diferente, este es tu libro.» «Una novela encantadora que te deja con mucho en lo que pensar.»

Antes de que se enfríe el café

Bárbara

Por aquel entonces, Kei no podía entender por qué su madre sonreía tanto, así que le preguntó por qué lo hacía habiendo fallecido su padre y si no estaba triste. 

Tomako sabía que Kei llamaba a la muerte “la caja negra”, así que respondió gentilmente aquella pregunta cargada de reproches con sus mejores sentimientos hacia el padre de Kei y del siguiente modo: 

— Bien, piensa qué pensaría tu padre si nos viera por un agujerito desde esa caja negra. Él no se metió en ella porque quisiera, sino que había una razón por la que tenía que ir allí. ¿Qué pensaría si te viera llorar todos los días desde la caja? Seguro que se pondría triste. Y tu padre te quería con locura. Ver que las personas a las que queremos mucho están tristes es duro. Por eso, si él te ve sonreír todos los días desde la caja, sin duda él también lo hará. Nuestras caras alegres hacen que el rostro de papá también lo esté. Nuestra felicidad hará que él también sienta lo mismo dentro de la caja. 

Jiji

the writing suffers from translation for sure. also a book should not have the first story be boring as hell only for the rest to be actually a bit captivating

Vincent Osvald

Loved the stories but the book felt too long towards the end and I almost lost interest (I struggled finishing it). Nonetheless, I liked the gentleness of the atmosphere and how everything felt comforting throughout the book.

Beautiful. I feel changed after reading this book. It made me both cry and smile. It was very short though. 

jordann

stories were put together by simple words and yet I feel moved. 

dylme

Made me cry while reading it and also rethink life after. I feel like it genuinely changed my life. Also the endings of each chapter were beautiful, I love how everything and everyone was connected too. Easily one of my favorite books ever.

Fausta Kaveckaitė

matti horckmans

i read this in just one day and it got me into a rollercoaster of emotions. although it felt too short for my liking, i'm yet to read the sequels so i'm hoping it can fulfill what i'm still looking for! 

very cozy, warm, and poignant read. each character had their own story worthy to be told, but kei truly stood out to me. they are all such beautiful souls and i really love the premise of the present remaining unchanged, yet the time they spend back still changes who they are as a person and how they live their lives from then on. it reminds people to always take time cherishing every moment they have and never lose the bit of hope your heart always beats for. every emotion stuck with me, every story left me in tears. 

i read this in just one day and it got me into a rollercoaster of emotions. although it felt too short for my liking, i'm yet to read the sequels so i'm hoping it can fulfill what i'm still looking for! 

very cozy, warm, and poignant read. each character had their own story worthy to be told, but kei truly stood out to me. they are all such beautiful souls and i really love the premise of the present remaining unchanged, yet the time they spend back still changes who they are as a person and how they live their lives from then on. it reminds people to always take time cherishing every moment they have and never lose the bit of hope your heart always beats for. every emotion stuck with me, every story left me in tears. 

beautiful experience to read! 💌

Short and sweet. I don't know that I'll read the other books in the series, but this was cute.

Katelyn Caillouet

Before the coffee gets cold is such a beautiful and cosy story! Only took me two days to finish, and I thoroughly enjoyed all parts of the book. I cannot wait to read the other books by the author. Intriguing at the beginning and finished on a very heartfelt note. 🥹

Olanda

While reading this book, I felt like I was wrapped in a cozy blanket in cold weather. I love all the characters; they take me to the peaceful countryside of Japan. so so so comforting if you just want to get away from your stressful life for a while, then read this.

prachi priyadarshini

this book is a gentle reminder to be grateful—not in a loud, performative way, but in the quiet kind. the kind that notices a warm cup in your hands, a conversation that still lingers in the air, a goodbye that you now realize was love.

there’s so much kindness hidden in the silence of this book. the way people love each other through distance. the way they keep showing up, even if their hearts are full of fear. I cried in the best way—not the kind of crying that leaves you broken, but the kind that makes your chest feel open. 

what stayed with me most was the message that being present—really present—is a kind of magic. we’re always chasing tomorrows or clinging to yesterdays. but sometimes, the real miracle is the now. the hot coffee. the person sitting across from you. the moment before the moment slips away.

because time may not change—but hearts can.

this book is a gentle reminder to be grateful—not in a loud, performative way, but in the quiet kind. the kind that notices a warm cup in your hands, a conversation that still lingers in the air, a goodbye that you now realize was love.

there’s so much kindness hidden in the silence of this book. the way people love each other through distance. the way they keep showing up, even if their hearts are full of fear. I cried in the best way—not the kind of crying that leaves you broken, but the kind that makes your chest feel open. 

what stayed with me most was the message that being present—really present—is a kind of magic. we’re always chasing tomorrows or clinging to yesterdays. but sometimes, the real miracle is the now. the hot coffee. the person sitting across from you. the moment before the moment slips away.

because time may not change—but hearts can.

torn between saying i liked it or i loved it because although the concept was cool and had lots of potential, the hype this had made me so excited to the point i did not enjoy it as much as i thought i would. still a really good book tho, i just had very high expectations.

mint

i really wanted to like this book more, but the majority of it was kind of boring. the only thing that saved it for me was what happened with kei at the end. it was very sweet, just not the type of book for me.

kaii

one of the books that got me out of a reading slump! Although the concept remains the same, the stories within  is what keeps the book alive

cassie

Honestly just found it really boring and couldn’t get into it.. disappointed cause I saw so much hype around it. Might give it another chance at some point? 

Enjoyed reading the book, however had trouble remembering character names throughout the book. 

HelyaSameni

Bueno… Fácil de leer, pero un poco repetitivo, y para mí no tan emotivo como pretende ser. 

i think the book has a good concept (time-travelling cafe) however it’s quite repetitive with the rules. it’s a quick and easy read since it’s quite short. it’s a sad book but it’s not very sad to the point where i am crying.

Olivia

What would you change if you could travel back in time? Down a small alleyway in the heart of Tokyo, there’s an underground café that’s been serving carefully brewed coffee for over a hundred years. Local legend says that this shop offers its customers something else besides coffee—the chance to travel back in time. The rules, however, are far from simple: you must sit in one particular seat, and you can’t venture outside the café, nor can you change the present. And, most important, you only have the time it takes to drink a hot cup of coffee—or risk getting stuck forever. Over the course of one summer, four customers visit the café in the hopes of traveling to another time: a heartbroken lover looking for closure, a nurse with a mysterious letter from her husband, a waitress hoping to say one last goodbye and a mother whose child she may never get the chance to know. Heartwarming, wistful and delightfully quirky, Before the Coffee Gets Cold explores the intersecting lives of four women who come together in one extraordinary café, where the service may not be quick, but the opportunities are endless.

Set in a small, tucked-away café in Tokyo, 

 tells the stories of four individuals who long to revisit moments from their past or witness glimpses of their future. The café offers an extraordinary opportunity to time travel—but under strict rules: you cannot change the present, you must stay seated in a chosen spot in the cafe, you can only visit someone who has been in the cafe, and you must return before the coffee gets cold. This poignant and tender novel explores themes of love, loss, regret, and the beauty of accepting life as it is. 

Kawaguchi’s writing, translated from Japanese, is delicate and thought-provoking, often capturing universal truths in simple lines. Here are some memorable quotes that encapsulate the book’s themes: 

“No matter what difficulties people face, they will always have the strength to overcome them. It just takes heart.”

 This reminds readers of the resilience we carry, even when burdened by regret. 

“Even if I could go back, nothing would change. But still, I want to go back… Because I want to see her one last time.”

 This reflects the aching need to reconnect with loved ones, even knowing it won’t alter the present. 

“The act of choosing to have faith in the unseen is one of the bravest things a person can do.”

 A gentle reminder to embrace hope, even when outcomes are uncertain. 

At its core, this novel examines how the past shapes us and how we can find peace despite unchangeable regrets. The characters’ journeys offer quiet revelations about love, forgiveness, and closure, making readers ponder their relationships and decisions. 

Though the story’s premise is whimsical, Kawaguchi focuses on the characters’ humanity, ensuring the emotional impact is deeply felt. The café’s warm, almost magical atmosphere balances the heavier moments, making it a reflective yet comforting read. 

Kawaguchi masterfully blends heartache and hope into a quiet but powerful narrative. While some may find the writing style simplistic, its depth lies in its emotional resonance and universal themes. Perfect for readers who enjoy introspective, bittersweet stories. 

If you’re looking for a reflective and tender book about life’s what-ifs, 

 is worth savoring—before your coffee gets cold! 

Erwin Lemuel Oliva

Set in a small, tucked-away café in Tokyo, Before the Coffee Gets Cold tells the stories of four individuals who long to revisit moments from their past or witness glimpses of their future. The café offers an extraordinary opportunity to time travel—but under strict rules: you cannot change the present, you must stay seated in a chosen spot in the cafe, you can only visit someone who has been in the cafe, and you must return before the coffee gets cold. This poignant and tender novel explores themes of love, loss, regret, and the beauty of accepting life as it is. 

 

Kawaguchi’s writing, translated from Japanese, is delicate and thought-provoking, often capturing universal truths in simple lines. Here are some memorable quotes that encapsulate the book’s themes: 


• “No matter what difficulties people face, they will always have the strength to overcome them. It just takes heart.” This reminds readers of the resilience we carry, even when burdened by regret. 

• “Even if I could go back, nothing would change. But still, I want to go back… Because I want to see her one last time.” This reflects the aching need to reconnect with loved ones, even knowing it won’t alter the present. 

• “The act of choosing to have faith in the unseen is one of the bravest things a person can do.” A gentle reminder to embrace hope, even when outcomes are uncertain. 

 

At its core, this novel examines how the past shapes us and how we can find peace despite unchangeable regrets. The characters’ journeys offer quiet revelations about love, forgiveness, and closure, making readers ponder their relationships and decisions. 

 

Though the story’s premise is whimsical, Kawaguchi focuses on the characters’ humanity, ensuring the emotional impact is deeply felt. The café’s warm, almost magical atmosphere balances the heavier moments, making it a reflective yet comforting read. 

 

Kawaguchi masterfully blends heartache and hope into a quiet but powerful narrative. While some may find the writing style simplistic, its depth lies in its emotional resonance and universal themes. Perfect for readers who enjoy introspective, bittersweet stories. 

 

If you’re looking for a reflective and tender book about life’s what-ifs, Before the Coffee Gets Cold is worth savoring—before your coffee gets cold! 

Interesting book and the concept different from what I've read before, but hard to read. 

When I first saw the book I was convinced I'll finish it in 1 day, but the description and the cringe dialogue make it hard to finish.

Andrada Nane

Interesting book and the concept different from what I've read before, but hard to read. 

When I first saw the book I was convinced I'll finish it in 1 day, but the description and the cringe dialogue make it hard to finish.

Repetitive, some of the rules create more questions without answears, I did like it but I don't believe it lives to the hype it got

Atrix 

Still crying. This is my first read of the year and it will probably be the best.

Amy Burnett

Extremely charming, with a care to make the characters feel familiar, a very close and personal book, but at the end of the day just not my type of book

Manis

I could compare this book with a cup of caffeine: it's warm, delectable and gets you in the right places. The story, even if written in 3rd POV, always manages to reel you right in and strike your heart, making you feel all the emotions as if you were there, sitting, and drinking the coffee. The characters are all different from one another but there's this shared warmness between all of them that you can't help but hope that the coffee doesn't turn cold. The story, although split in stories about the characters' experiences flow so well that it was hard to put this book down as it all seems so enticing to find out what happens next. Lastly, even if this story involved fantasy elements — everything was so realistic. From all the emotions felt by the characters:  sorrow, grief, happiness, regret; it's daunting how awfully accurate it is. Overall, this story, although simplistic, makes you appreciate the past, the future, and especially the present, and makes you appreciate and realize how important time and the people in our lives is.

Jiji &
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Reviews

Highlights

Join the club

Jiji &Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Reviews

Highlights

Join the club

Jiji &
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi