Alex’s Pick
1
of
1
Before the Coffee Gets Cold
Series: Before the Coffee Gets Cold
Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.
Check link for latest rating. ( 643,789 ratings, 88,736 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still
learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Summary
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$1999
Unit price
/
Unavailable
OVERNIGHT NZ-WIDE DELIVERY
Found a better price? Request a price match
Before the Coffee Gets Cold
$1999
Unit price
/
Unavailable
Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
Latest News
Everyone is reading Dungeon Crawler Carl - And you should too!
Dungeon Crawler Carl is the latest series that everyone has been reading and talking about....
Meet Serena: The Month I Finally Started Reading Again
After months of being stuck in a reading slump, Serena set herself one simple goal...
Tiny Books, Big Adventures: Meet Bookcessories!
We are so excited to introduce to you our mini Bookcessories range! These are super cute...
New Releases to add to your TBR this week (9th September)
Lizzy is rounding up the newest arrivals across fiction, non-fiction, and children's books! Check out...
The Book Briefing - September 9th
Welcome to this week's Book Briefing where we round up the news for the week!
See moreA beautiful, moving story about a small Japanese café that offers its visitors the chance to travel back in time, to find an answer to the question: what would you change if you could go back?
A beautiful, moving story about a small Japanese café that offers its visitors the chance to travel back in time, to find an answer to the question: what would you change if you could go back?
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Description
Step into a quaint little café tucked away in a narrow alley in Tokyo, where the aroma of meticulously brewed coffee has been delighting patrons for over a hundred years. This is no ordinary coffee shop; it offers an extraordinary experience: the chance to travel back in time.
Before the Coffee Gets Cold introduces us to a spellbinding narrative centred around four unique visitors, each drawn to the café by the allure of its time-travelling promise. These individuals harbour deep desires to reconnect with significant moments and people from their pasts. One wishes to confront the man who left her, another seeks to receive a long-lost letter from a husband whose memory has been ravaged by early onset Alzheimer's. A third guest longs to see her sister one final time, while the fourth yearns to meet the daughter she never had the chance to know.
However, this journey through time carries its own set of intricate rules. Customers must sit in a designated seat, remain within the café, and crucially, return to the present before the coffee gets cold. These constraints add a layer of tension and urgency to their compelling quests for closure and understanding.
Toshikazu Kawaguchi crafts a beautiful, moving story that delves into the timeless question: what would you change if you could travel back in time? Each character’s poignant journey explores themes of love, loss, and the immutable nature of time, asking the readers to ponder who they would want to meet, maybe for one last time. The novel is not just about changing the past but about treasuring the fleeting moments of the present.
This gentle yet thought-provoking tale, resonating deeply with emotions, has captivated readers worldwide, becoming one of the most popular BookTok sensations on TikTok in 2022. As you turn the pages, you will find yourself engrossed in a rich tapestry of human experiences and the heartfelt connections that bind us all. Kawaguchi’s narrative invites readers to reflect deeply on their own lives and the precious, fleeting nature of time.
Series: Before the Coffee Gets Cold
View all-
Alex’s PickBefore the Coffee Gets Cold
Step into a quaint little café tucked away in a narrow alley in Tokyo, where the aroma of meticulously brewed coffee has been delighting patrons for over a hundred years. This is no ordinary coffee shop; it offers an extraordinary experience: the chance to travel back in time. Before the Coffee Gets Cold introduces us to a spellbinding narrative centred...Paperback$1999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Tales from the Cafe
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... From the author of Before the Coffee Gets Cold comes a story of four new customers each of whom...Paperback$1999Elsewhere:$2499Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Before We Forget Kindness
In the fifth book in the sensational Before the Coffee Gets Cold series, the mysterious café where customers arrive hoping to travel in time welcomes four new guests: The father who could not allow his daughter to get married A woman who couldn't give Valentine's Day chocolates to her loved one A boy who wants to show his smile to...Paperback$1999Elsewhere:$2499Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Before Your Memory Fades
The third novel in the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series, a true global sensation – now in a gorgeous, decorative special edition. On the hillside of Mount Hakodate in northern Japan, Cafe Donna Donna is fabled for its dazzling views of Hakodate port. But that’s not all. Like the charming Tokyo cafe Funiculi Funicula, Cafe Donna Donna offers its...Hardback$4000Elsewhere:$4500Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Before I Knew I Loved You
The sixth book in the multi-million-copy bestselling series about a cosy Japanese café that offers its visitors the chance to travel back in time. In a special seat in a fabled Tokyo café, you're offered something irresistible—not just a warm, comforting coffee, but the chance to go back in time to revisit the ones you love... In Before I Knew...Paperback$2200Elsewhere:$2499Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Before We Say Goodbye
The million-copy bestselling series Toshikazu Kawaguchi's poignant Before We Say Goodbye, translated from Japanese by Geoffrey Trousselot, explores the age-old question: what would you do if you could travel back in time? More importantly, who would you want to meet, maybe for one last time? The regulars at the magical Cafe Funiculi Funicula are well acquainted with its famous legend...Paperback$1999Elsewhere:$2499Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Before Your Memory Fades
The third novel in the international bestselling Before the Coffee Gets Cold series, following four new customers in a cafe where customers can travel back in time. In northern Japan, overlooking the spectacular view Hakodate Port has to offer, Cafe Donna Donna has been serving carefully brewed coffee for more than one hundred years. But this coffee shop offers its...Paperback$2499Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Before I Knew I Loved You
The sixth book in the multi-million-copy bestselling series about a cosy Japanese café that offers its visitors the chance to travel back in time. In a special seat in a fabled Tokyo café, you're offered something irresistible—not just a warm, comforting coffee, but the chance to go back in time to revisit the ones you love... In Before I Knew...HardbackSold Out -
Before We Forget Kindness
The million-copy bestselling series. In the fifth book in the sensational Before the Coffee Gets Cold series, translated from Japanese, the mysterious Tokyo café where customers arrive hoping to travel back in time welcomes four new guests: The father who could not allow his daughter to get married A woman who couldn't give Valentine's Day chocolates to her loved one...HardbackSold Out -
Before the Coffee Gets Cold
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...HardbackSold Out
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi has been praised for its unique blend of magical realism and heartwarming stories. Reviewers highlight its thought-provoking exploration of human emotions, relationships, and regrets. Some readers appreciate the book's quaint, nostalgic setting and the engaging, character-driven narratives, while others find the prose straightforward yet touching. Overall, it’s regarded as a moving and imaginative read.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781529029581
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 19 September 2019
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Picador
Contributors:
- Translated by Geoffrey Trousselot
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 15.0mm
Width: 131.0mm
Height: 196.0mm
Weight: 166g
Pages: 224
Collections
Best Sellers at Book Hero
Best Selling Books
Comfort Reads
Evie's Cat-alogue
Fantasy
Fiction
General Fiction
In Stock Books
In-Stock Fiction Books
Literary Fiction
New Release Fiction
New Zealand's Best Selling Books
Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Science Fiction
Series: Before the Coffee Gets Cold
Toshikazu Kawaguchi
About the Author
Toshikazu Kawaguchi was born in Osaka, Japan, in 1971. He formerly produced, directed and wrote for the theatrical group Sonic Snail. As a playwright, his works include COUPLE, Sunset Song, and Family Time. The novel Before the Coffee Gets Cold is adapted from a 1110 Productions play by Kawaguchi, which won the 10th Suginami Drama Festival grand prize.
Also by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
View all-
Tales from the Cafe
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... From the author of Before the Coffee Gets Cold comes a story of four new customers each of whom...Paperback$1999Elsewhere:$2499Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Before We Forget Kindness
In the fifth book in the sensational Before the Coffee Gets Cold series, the mysterious café where customers arrive hoping to travel in time welcomes four new guests: The father who could not allow his daughter to get married A woman who couldn't give Valentine's Day chocolates to her loved one A boy who wants to show his smile to...Paperback$1999Elsewhere:$2499Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Tales from the Cafe
Embark on a poignant journey through time with Tales from the Cafe, the enchanting sequel in Toshikazu Kawaguchi's million-copy bestselling series. Tucked away in a quaint Tokyo alley, a mysterious cafe offers more than just a finely brewed cup of coffee—it presents its patrons with the extraordinary opportunity to travel back in time. Bound by a handful of peculiar rules,...Hardback$3400Elsewhere:$5999Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Before Your Memory Fades
The third novel in the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series, a true global sensation – now in a gorgeous, decorative special edition. On the hillside of Mount Hakodate in northern Japan, Cafe Donna Donna is fabled for its dazzling views of Hakodate port. But that’s not all. Like the charming Tokyo cafe Funiculi Funicula, Cafe Donna Donna offers its...Hardback$4000Elsewhere:$4500Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Before I Knew I Loved You
The sixth book in the multi-million-copy bestselling series about a cosy Japanese café that offers its visitors the chance to travel back in time. In a special seat in a fabled Tokyo café, you're offered something irresistible—not just a warm, comforting coffee, but the chance to go back in time to revisit the ones you love... In Before I Knew...Paperback$2200Elsewhere:$2499Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Before We Say Goodbye
The million-copy bestselling series Toshikazu Kawaguchi's poignant Before We Say Goodbye, translated from Japanese by Geoffrey Trousselot, explores the age-old question: what would you do if you could travel back in time? More importantly, who would you want to meet, maybe for one last time? The regulars at the magical Cafe Funiculi Funicula are well acquainted with its famous legend...Paperback$1999Elsewhere:$2499Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Before I Knew I Loved You
The sixth book in the multi-million-copy bestselling series about a cosy Japanese café that offers its visitors the chance to travel back in time. In a special seat in a fabled Tokyo café, you're offered something irresistible—not just a warm, comforting coffee, but the chance to go back in time to revisit the ones you love... In Before I Knew...Hardback$4500Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Before Your Memory Fades
The third novel in the international bestselling Before the Coffee Gets Cold series, following four new customers in a cafe where customers can travel back in time. In northern Japan, overlooking the spectacular view Hakodate Port has to offer, Cafe Donna Donna has been serving carefully brewed coffee for more than one hundred years. But this coffee shop offers its...Paperback$2499Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Pre-order
Before We Say Goodbye
The fourth book in the multi-million-copy bestselling series - now in a gorgeously produced special edition with sprayed edges, foil and beautiful endpapers. Toshikazu Kawaguchi's poignant Before We Say Goodbye, translated from Japanese, explores the age-old question: what would you do if you could travel back in time? More importantly, who would you want to meet, maybe for one last...Hardback$3599Elsewhere:$4500Unit price /UnavailableOut 10 Nov 2026Pre-order -
Before I Knew I Loved You
The sixth book in the multi-million-copy bestselling series about a cosy Japanese café that offers its visitors the chance to travel back in time. In a special seat in a fabled Tokyo café, you're offered something irresistible—not just a warm, comforting coffee, but the chance to go back in time to revisit the ones you love... In Before I Knew...HardbackSold Out -
Before We Forget Kindness
The million-copy bestselling series. In the fifth book in the sensational Before the Coffee Gets Cold series, translated from Japanese, the mysterious Tokyo café where customers arrive hoping to travel back in time welcomes four new guests: The father who could not allow his daughter to get married A woman who couldn't give Valentine's Day chocolates to her loved one...HardbackSold Out -
Before the Coffee Gets Cold
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...HardbackSold Out
More from General Fiction
View all-
The Wedding People
'BEST READ OF THE YEAR SO FAR' THE TIMES 'BOOKS AS FUN AS THIS ONE ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN' GUARDIAN Phoebe Stone arrives at a grand beachside hotel in Rhode Island wearing her best dress and least comfortable shoes. Immediately she is mistaken for one of the wedding people — but she's actually the only guest at the Cornwall...Paperback$2399Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Fourth Wing
THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES AND NUMBER ONE GLOBAL BESTSELLING PHENOMENON! DON'T MISS OUT ON THE SERIES THAT EVERYONE CAN'T STOP TALKING ABOUT: 'This book contains an addictive, drug-like essence that will make you relinquish all responsibility until the very last word. Do not say I didn't warn you' Glamour 'I didn't sleep, I didn't eat, and when I finished, I...Paperback$2200Elsewhere:$3999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Iron Flame
The instant number one Sunday Times bestseller and thrilling sequel to the global phenomenon, Fourth Wing! DON'T BE THE LAST TO DISCOVER THE SERIES THAT EVERYONE CAN'T STOP TALKING ABOUT: 'Yarros is the true inheritor of Harry Potter and inspires Hunger Games levels of devotion' Guardian 'Fear not, levels of fighting, rebelliousness and all-round sexiness are still sky-high' Daily Mail...Paperback$2200Elsewhere:$3999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Theo of Golden
THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING PHENOMENON'For anything to be truly good, there must be love in it. Nothing is what it's supposed to be if love is not at the core.' One morning, a stranger arrives in the town of Golden. No one knows who he is or where he came from…His name is Theo and he's arrived there by chance –...Paperback$2899Elsewhere:$3499Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Yesteryear
A BOLD AND BITING SATIRE. WILL HAVE YOU GASPING TO THE FINAL PAGE — Nita Prose WICKEDLY FUNNY, BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN AND FRIGHTENINGLY PERCEPTIVE — Abigail Dean INVENTIVE, ADDICTIVE, A WILD RIDE — Ashley Audrain SHOT THROUGH WITH HUMOUR AND LACED WITH DARKNESS — Clare Mackintosh The Stepford Wives meets The Handmaid's Tale — Hannah Deitch My name was Natalie Heller...Paperback$2999Elsewhere:$3699Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Carl's Doomsday Scenario
Join Carl and his ex-girlfriend's cat Princess Donut as they fight fantastical creatures and deadly mobs in the second book in the smash-hit Dungeon Crawler Carl series -now with bonus material exclusive to the print edition Now on the third floor, Carl and Donut have to fight harder than ever. They've already proven that a Coast Guard vet and once-and-forever...Hardback$4699Elsewhere:$6000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
A Court of Thorns and Roses
The first instalment of the GLOBAL PHENOMENON and TikTok sensation, from multi-million selling and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas. Maas has established herself as a fantasy fiction titan – Time Harry Potter magic, Taylor Swift sass, Fifty Shades-level athleticism – The Sunday Times With bits of Buffy, Game of Thrones and Outlander, this is a glorious series...Paperback$2100Elsewhere:$2299Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook
Carl and Princess Donut have to team up with other contestants to not just survive, but to solve a deadly puzzle in this third, mind-twisting novel in the addictive Dungeon Crawler Carl series -now with bonus material exclusive to this print edition! Carl and Donut have survived so far, but this fourth level is unlike anything they could imagine. The...Hardback$4700Elsewhere:$6000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Dungeon Crawler Carl
The apocalypse will be televised! Welcome to the first book in the wildly popular and addictive Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinniman-now with bonus material exclusive to the print edition! You know what's worse than breaking up with your girlfriend? Being stuck with her prize-winning show cat. And you know what's worse than that? An alien invasion, the destruction...Paperback$3199Elsewhere:$3800Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
New ReleaseCarl's Doomsday Scenario
Join Carl and his ex-girlfriend's cat Princess Donut as they fight fantastical creatures and deadly mobs in the second book in the smash-hit Dungeon Crawler Carl series—now with bonus material exclusive to the print edition. Now on the third floor, Carl and Donut have to fight harder than ever. They've already proven that a Coast Guard vet and once-and-forever feline...Paperback$3199Elsewhere:$3800Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
A Court of Silver Flames
The latest instalment of the GLOBAL PHENOMENON, romantic fantasy epic and TikTok sensation, ACOTAR. From multi-million and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas. Maas has established herself as a fantasy fiction titan - Time Think Game of Thrones meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer with a drizzle of E.L. James – Telegraph Spiced with slick plotting and atmospheric world-building...Paperback$2100Elsewhere:$2499Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
New ReleaseKneel Before Me
Daphne never meant to want him - the monster who could destroy her... and the only one who never would. Now they're both caught between Their duties and their love. Daphne Verus never planned to compete for the prince. Now she's expected to trade the safety of her village for the caves beneath the mountain and be trained by Kronos...Paperback$3199Elsewhere:$3799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today
Why buy from us?
Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!
Service & Delivery
Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.
Auckland Bookstore
We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.
Our Gifting Service
Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.
General Fiction lists from the team
Explore our curated lists from our heroes to find your next read!
-
![]()
![]()
![]()
Lizzy's listGeneral Fiction
Fiction about Fathers
Here are some incredible stories that explore various angles of fatherhood and father figures in the most poignant and wonderful ways. Featuring...View the list -
![]()
![]()
![]()
Lizzy's listGeneral Fiction
What to read now you've watched The Odyssey
Contemporary fiction, classical non-fiction, feminist retellings, and inspired stories that would make for an interesting read now that you're obsessed with The...View the list -
![]()
![]()
![]()
Kevin's listGeneral Fiction
The Odyssey & Trojan War Classics (and Retellings)
Long before Christopher Nolan turned it into a blockbuster in the summer of 2026, The Odyssey was the original epic. After a...View the list -
![Tsubaki Stationery Store]()
![]()
![]()
Lizzy's listGeneral Fiction
Have You Tried ... Healing Fiction
Healing Fiction is a relatively new genre still finding it's place, and yet people are reaching for it without realizing, desperate for...View the list -
![]()
![]()
![]()
Lizzy's listGeneral Fiction
Lizzy's Favourite Picks for Winter Reading
These are the books that Lizzy loves to read in Winter, or that feel like Winter. A combination of fiction, some non-fiction,...View the list -
![]()
![]()
![]()
Shirl's listGeneral Fiction
Shirl's Favourite Books of 2026
The first half of 2026 has been packed with brilliant books, making it hard to choose favourites but here are a few...View the list -
![]()
![]()
![]()
Lizzy's listGeneral Fiction
Books to Escape a Reading Slump
A reading slump can be a frustrating feeling and hard to break out of, but we've gathered together a list of crowd...View the list -
![]()
![]()
![Star Shipped]()
Lizzy's listGeneral Fiction
Lizzy's Pride Fiction Picks!
June marks Global Pride Month so in case you're looking for your next great fiction read, here's a list of some of...View the list -
![]()
![]()
![]()
Lizzy's listGeneral Fiction
Readers’ Top 100 Novels of All Time - from The Guardian
There was some controversy when The Guardian released their critics and authors list of the top 100 novels of all time, but...View the list -
![]()
![]()
![]()
Lizzy's listGeneral Fiction
Seasonal Reads - 10 Books for Autumn
If you haven't tried seasonal reading, Lizzy thinks you should. It's a way to romanticizing the current season rather than trying to...View the list -
![]()
![]()
![]()
Hannah's listGeneral Fiction
Gothic Reads for Dark Nights
With the advent of movie adaptations like Wuthering Heights and Frankenstein, it looks like pop culture is seeing a revival of the...View the list -
![]()
![]()
![]()
General Fiction
The 2026 Ockham New Zealand Book Winners
Celebrate all the winners of the 2026 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards. Explore the powerful fiction of Ingrid Horrocks' 'All Her Lives',...View the list
