⭐️ In a century-old cafe in Tokyo, customers who sit in a special seat (and follow all of the rules) can travel back in time. Before the Coffee Gets Cold is Japanese playwright Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s first work translated into English, and like the strong coffee served to the time traveling patrons of the cafe, this slim novel packs a big punch. Subverting the typical time travel narrative in which a protagonist goes back in time in order to change a key event, the travelers in Kawaguchi’s story are circumscribed by a strict set of rules: the first being no matter what happens, you cannot change the present. Another rule? You must return to the present before the coffee gets cold. These and other rules and rituals surrounding time travel call to mind the formality of a Japanese tea ceremony, with the cafe itself, old and plain, yet kept meticulously clean, echoing the imperfect wabi-sabi beauty of an ancient tea house.

Although (or perhaps because) we never leave the cafe — a setting that would feel right at home on the stage of a small theater — the emotional connections between the cafe regulars and staff become more resonant; each small interaction imbued with meaning. Kawaguchi delicately weaves together the stories of this small cast of characters in a rhythm dictated by the distinctive clang-dong of a bell ringing on the cafe door. By the time we reach the final tale, we are fully invested.

As in many well done time travel stories, the experience of time travel illuminates something about our experience as humans in the here and now. As the characters face their own regrets and fears, we can’t help but ask the same questions of ourselves: Who would you want to meet? What would you say if you had the courage to tell the truth? What makes a good life?

“Before the Coffee Gets Cold” begs to be read quickly, in just a few greedy gulps. I was left wanting more in the most delicious way, like finishing an extremely satisfying meal (perhaps one specially prepared for you by the cafe chef, Nagare?) at just the right time for your stomach, though your mind is shouting for you to taste just one more bite.

The audiobook is narrated beautifully by Arina Li, and listening to this story on my daily walks was a fulfilling way to begin the new year. Highly recommend.