I recently finished Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, and it’s been sitting with me in that quiet, lingering way certain books do. It’s not a flashy story. In fact, it’s incredibly simple on the surface—but that’s kind of the beauty of it. The story is set in a little café in Tokyo where, under very specific and honestly kind of bizarre rules, you can travel back in time. The twist is that nothing you do in the past can change the present. You’re just… there. Watching. Talking. Revisiting. And you have to finish your coffee before it gets cold or you’re stuck. (Don’t worry, the consequences are more symbolic than scary.) The book is made up of four stories, each one focusing on someone who wants to go back—whether to say goodbye, to get answers, or just to be with someone they miss. I won’t spoil anything, but some of the moments are really touching. Not in a dramatic, tearjerker kind of way, but in that quiet ache you feel when someone says something real. I think what hit me hardest is how often we assume we’ll get another chance to say what we really feel—and how rarely that’s true. It’s definitely not for everyone. The writing is very matter-of-fact, and the time travel rules get repeated a lot, which can feel a little clunky. Some of the dialogue is a bit stiff too, probably because it’s a translation. But honestly, I didn’t mind. It almost made it feel more grounded—like a simple folktale or a story being passed around. If you’re looking for a fast-paced plot or lots of twists, this probably isn’t the book. But if you’re in the mood for something gentle and introspective, this might be exactly what you need. It’s short, strange, and quietly powerful. Would I read it again? Maybe not right away. But I’m glad I read it, and I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys reflective stories with a little bit of magic.

Those 4 short stories from a café, where you can time travel, are truly inspiring and profound. Also, each individual character is honestly well written. Their own special tales are so beautiful and so tragic at the same time. It’s really nicely written and easy to read through. Definitly recommended: Reading it with a cup of coffee or tea in a cozy evening.

Ein Café, in dem man in die Vergangenheit zurückreisen kann. Coole Idee. Die Geschichte ist nett aufgezogen und der Plot lebt von der Liebe zum Detail. Die einzelnen Geschichten sind schön erzählt und gespickt mit kleinen Lebensweisheiten. Leider konnte mich das Gesamtwerk aber nicht ganz überzeugen. Die Einblicke in die Japanische Kultur bzw. die kulturtypischen Wertvorstellungen und Verhaltensweisen waren mir teilweise sehr fremd. Ich habe bis zum Schluss nicht richtig ins Buch hineinfinden können.

I haven’t read something like this in a long time. I am starting to love reading books from Japanese authors. This books starts as light hearted, fun time travel book in a cafe but with each passing “chapter” or part in the book, the overall picture gets bigger and bigger. Life lessons are intertwined between carefully chosen words as to not ruin the momentum. You start loving the character and rooting for them which in turn will hurt if they get hurt, too. There is still and eerie mysterious air around it and there are still things left unspoken so I am very excited to continue with this journey with the next three books. Needless to say (if it wasn’t obvious already) one of my favourite books this year for sure.

“Before the Coffee gets cold” ist einfach geschrieben, tragisch, bringt einen zum Weinen, aber auch zum Lächeln. Eine schöne und kurze Geschichte, mit der sich viele von uns identifizieren können. Sie regt zum Nachdenken über das Leben an und ist eines meiner neuen Lieblingsbücher. Ich kann es zu 100% empfehlen.

Though I didn’t go into it without any expectations (because of a YouTube video by Jack Edwards ), I still didn’t anticipate tears. These four short stories that are all linked to each other in one way or another felt so cozy, warm and bittersweet - a recipe to my taste. Granted, the writing style might not be for everyone and the fact that it’s magical realism might put some people off too, but I thouroughly enjoyed reading this. The concept alone was so intriguing to me that I kept wanting to find out why those people wanted to travel back to the past. I found it fascinating how easy it was for me to just run with the story, no matter the absurdity of the plot. The fact that it wasn’t explained how exactly this time travel works made it so interesting to me. Things don’t always have to be explained until every tiniest detail’s understood. Plus, I start to realise that not every book needs to cater to my expectation of authenticity and/or realness for it to be a good book still. I can see why some people might not like these stories very much but I would recommend them to anyone who enjoys open endings, unclear circumstances and bittersweet storytelling.

Es ist schon zwei Jahre her, dass ich ein Buch begonnen habe und wirklich auch fertig lesen konnte. Dieses Buch hat mir wieder in Erinnerung gerufen, wie es sich anfühlt, von einer Geschichte tief berührt zu werden. Simpel und brilliant zugleich ist die Schreibart und Erzählungsleichtigkeit von Tochikazi Kawaguchi. Ich freue mich bereits jetzt auf das zweite Buch dieser Reihe und auf weitere herzberührende Bücherfunde.