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Before the Coffee Gets Cold
Series: Before the Coffee Gets Cold
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Before the Coffee Gets Cold
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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?
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?
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 Monday -
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 Monday -
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 Monday -
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 Monday -
Pre-orderBefore 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$3599Elsewhere:$3999Unit price /UnavailableOut 28 Jul 2026Pre-order -
New Release
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 Monday -
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 /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
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
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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 Monday -
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 Monday -
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 /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
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 Monday -
Pre-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...Hardback$3599Elsewhere:$3999Unit price /UnavailableOut 28 Jul 2026Pre-order -
New Release
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 Monday -
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 /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
Pre-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...Hardback$3800Unit price /UnavailableOut 1 Sep 2026Pre-order -
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
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