Introduction
Before The Coffee Gets Cold Summary By Toshikazu Kawaguchi Before the Coffee Gets Cold (translated by Geoffrey Trousselot) is a beautifully introspective and poignant novel written by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. Originally published in Japan in 2015, this modern classic has captivated readers worldwide with its gentle narrative, unique premise, and exploration of time, memory, and human connections. The novel is set in a small, atmospheric café in Tokyo that holds a special, almost magical, ability—patrons can travel back in time. However, there is one rule they must abide by: they must return before their coffee gets cold.
The café, known as the “Funiculi Funicula,” offers an opportunity for people to revisit moments in their past, but only for a brief window of time. The patrons who step into this café do so with a specific purpose: to revisit a moment that they wish they could relive or change. Some long to correct a past mistake, others seek closure, while some simply want to say goodbye to someone they have lost. But no matter their reason, the characters in the novel are bound by the café’s unyielding rule—once they take a sip of their coffee, they must return before the coffee gets cold, or else they risk becoming stuck in the past forever.
At its core, Before the Coffee Gets Cold is a story about the emotional impact of time. It explores themes such as love, regret, forgiveness, and the relationships that define us. The novel asks readers to consider the idea of what they might change if given the opportunity to relive a moment in their lives. Through its four interconnected stories, the novel invites readers to reflect on how the past shapes us and whether revisiting it can offer healing or simply more longing.
Summary of Before the Coffee Gets Cold
The Setting: The Café “Funiculi Funicula”
The novel takes place in a quaint and somewhat magical café named Funiculi Funicula, tucked away in a corner of Tokyo. It is an unassuming little place, decorated with warm wooden tones and simple furnishings. However, the café is known for its special ability: it has a seat in the back that can send people back in time. This ability, however, comes with strict limitations. Patrons who wish to use this power must sit in a specific chair, and they must follow certain rules. Most importantly, they must return to the present before their coffee gets cold.
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The rules governing the time travel are clear and rigid:
- The time traveler can only go back to the past and interact with it as it was at that moment.
- They cannot change the past, nor can they alter anything that happened.
- They must return to the present before the coffee in their cup gets cold, or they will be stuck in the past forever.
- The journey is limited to a very brief period, and the time traveler can only visit the past, not the future.
While the café’s time-traveling powers are magical, they are also deeply constrained. This limitation, however, is what makes the characters’ journeys all the more meaningful—each of them has a specific reason for wanting to revisit the past, whether it’s to resolve lingering regrets, to find closure, or simply to experience one last moment with someone they loved.
The Four Stories:
The novel is divided into four main chapters, each focusing on a different character who visits the café. Each chapter tells the story of someone who has come to the café with a desire to relive or change an important moment in their life. The characters are all connected by the café, but their stories are distinct.
- Kei and Fumiko: The Lovers’ RegretKei, a young woman in a troubled relationship, visits the café with the desire to change a moment from her past. She wants to go back and say something to her ex-lover, Fumiko, with whom she had a falling out. Kei’s story is one of love lost and the pain of unresolved feelings. She wants to understand what went wrong in her relationship and find closure. The opportunity to visit the past offers her a chance to perhaps fix what was broken, but she quickly learns that the rules of the café prevent her from changing the past, leaving her to grapple with the emotional aftermath of her choices.
- The Story of Nagare and His DaughterAnother central character, Nagare, visits the café in hopes of reconnecting with his estranged daughter, who died years ago. He regrets his inability to bridge the emotional gap between them before her passing. Nagare’s story is one of parent-child relationships, loss, and redemption. He longs to apologize and make amends with his daughter, but the limitations of the café’s time travel force him to confront his own feelings of guilt and grief. His experience underscores the deep emotional impact of regret and the difficulty of confronting past mistakes.
- The Story of the Pregnant WomanThe third story revolves around a woman who is pregnant and on the verge of an emotional crisis. She has come to the café to visit her late mother, hoping to understand her mother’s feelings and gain the wisdom she needs before becoming a mother herself. This story is about generational connections, the complexities of motherhood, and the desire for guidance from someone who is no longer there. The protagonist’s visit to the past is fraught with the tension of trying to reconcile the mother she knew with the one she hopes to become.
- The Last Story: A Visit from the FutureThe final story of the novel is perhaps the most poignant, focusing on a character who finds herself in the café with a desire to make peace with the future. This chapter is less about revisiting the past and more about reconciling with the future, grappling with the fear of the unknown, and trying to come to terms with what life may hold. The character’s time in the café explores the intersection of time, love, and the passage of life, offering a beautiful reflection on the human condition and the inescapability of time’s forward march.
Each of these stories is deeply emotional, and together they explore different facets of time travel: not as a means of changing the past, but as a way of understanding it more deeply. The novel’s powerful message is that while we cannot change what has already happened, we can come to terms with it, find peace, and learn to appreciate the moments we have in the present.
Themes in Before the Coffee Gets Cold
1. Time and the Inability to Change the Past
One of the most prominent themes in Before the Coffee Gets Cold is the idea that while time is fluid and seemingly malleable, it cannot be altered. The characters in the novel are all given the opportunity to visit the past, but the magical café offers no power to change it. Instead, the theme of time revolves around acceptance: learning to make peace with the past rather than trying to change it. This theme invites readers to reflect on their own lives—on regrets, missed opportunities, and the moments that have shaped them.
The novel suggests that while we cannot undo the past, we can still find meaning in it. The characters’ journeys back in time, though fleeting, are often transformative. By visiting their memories, they are able to reflect, understand, and even heal without the burden of altering the past. This idea is ultimately one of acceptance—learning to live with what has been, while still moving forward.
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2. Love and Relationships
At the heart of the novel is the theme of love, both romantic and familial. The characters in Before the Coffee Gets Cold all have relationships—romantic, familial, or friendly—that are either unresolved or in need of reconciliation. The café’s magic allows them to visit moments with loved ones, whether they want to apologize, ask for forgiveness, or simply relive a cherished memory. These moments highlight the tenderness of human relationships and the complexities of love, particularly the love that endures even after death or separation.
The theme of love is explored through the lens of regret, longing, and closure. By revisiting their past, the characters confront the relationships that shaped them, with a focus on understanding their emotions and finding peace with the choices they made. Whether it’s a mother and daughter, a couple who fell out of love, or a man trying to make amends with his deceased child, Before the Coffee Gets Cold reflects on how love is expressed, remembered, and reconciled.
3. Regret and Closure
Regret is another central theme in the novel, particularly as each character reflects on moments they wish they could have changed. The magical café offers a brief chance to revisit these moments, but it is clear that the characters cannot change anything. Instead, they must come to terms with their past actions and accept that some things are beyond their control. The power of closure is explored through each character’s journey, as they learn to forgive themselves or find peace in their decisions, even if they cannot undo the hurt they caused.
In this way, the novel asks a powerful question: Is it possible to move on from the past without changing it? The characters’ journeys provide the answer—while they may not be able to change history, they can find emotional resolution and healing in their hearts.
4. Time and the Present Moment
Though the novel focuses heavily on time travel, the central message is about living fully in the present. While the café offers a chance to revisit the past, the real value of each character’s journey lies in how they use their time in the present. The theme of time, as explored through the café’s magical ability to travel back to the past, invites readers to reflect on how they use their own time. It encourages mindfulness, appreciation, and living authentically in the moment.
The characters, each in their own way, learn to treasure the present rather than yearning for the past or worrying about the future. Ultimately, Before the Coffee Gets Cold is a reminder of the importance of being present in our own lives, valuing the relationships and moments that matter most.
1. What is Before the Coffee Gets Cold about?
Before the Coffee Gets Cold is a novel set in a café in Tokyo where customers can travel back in time for a short period. However, there are strict rules—most importantly, the time traveler must return before their coffee gets cold. The novel follows several characters who visit the café to revisit moments in their past, seeking closure, resolution, or healing.
2. Can the characters change the past in Before the Coffee Gets Cold?
No, the characters cannot change the past. The café’s time travel ability only allows them to revisit the past, not alter it. The characters must accept that they cannot change what has already happened and instead come to terms with their emotions, regrets, and relationships.
3. What are the main themes of the novel?
The novel explores themes of time, love, regret, closure, and living in the present. It asks readers to reflect on how time shapes our lives, how relationships define us, and how we can find peace with our past without changing it.
4. Is Before the Coffee Gets Cold a fantasy novel?
While Before the Coffee Gets Cold features magical realism through the time-traveling café, it is more of a contemporary fiction novel. The magical element serves as a vehicle for exploring deep emotional and philosophical themes related to memory, love, and the human condition.
5. How does Before the Coffee Gets Cold end?
The novel concludes with the characters gaining emotional closure through their time travel experiences. Each person learns to accept their past, find peace with their decisions, and appreciate the present. The ending is bittersweet, as it underscores the beauty of living in the moment rather than clinging to the past.
