In a narrow alleyway in Tokyo, there is a café known as Funiculi Funicula. Here, patrons can embark on a journey to either the past or the future, provided they adhere to a strict set of rules. Only one seat in the café facilitates time travel, which becomes available when its usual occupant, a ghost, takes its break. This only happens once a day at an any given time.
Once transported, customers must remain seated and are limited to interacting only with individuals who have also visited the café. Despite any changes made in the past, the present will always remain unchanged. The most crucial bit of this process is that customers must return to the present before their cup of coffee cools.
The novel explores the lives of the café’s staff, particularly the barista Kazu, and four distinct customers. Fumiko, a businesswoman, who plans to mend her relationship with her boyfriend, who has relocated to the United States for work.
Hirai, a bar owner, seeks to reconcile with her sister, whom she has been avoiding. Lastly, Kei, one of the café’s owners, attempts to travel to the future to communicate with her unborn child. Through these narratives, the author conveys a poignant message: while the past is immutable, the future remains unwritten and full of promise.
Before the Coffee Gets Cold, the first of a short story tetralogy, makes you feel all the emotions. Kawaguchi creates such a cozy ambiance while sharing stories of love, loss, and heartbreak through each of these characters involved. The vast range of complex feelings paired with magical realism makes simple, human stories so refreshing and brand new. Although I am only halfway through this series of short story novels, I cannot wait to devour the rest.
Take a listen to the playlist I co-created with our Lead Curator, Julia Falcone. It’s a delicate blend of soft, Japanese tunes and whimsical indie songs that tug at your heartstrings. If you can get your hands on a copy of Before the Coffee Gets Cold, crack this book open and listen along to the playlist below.
sidney parish
New Orleans-based writer and curator that is most likely rambling nonstop about music and books.
daybreak 