Tales from the Cafe by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

What is it about?

More stories from my favorite Tokyo café Funiculi Funicula, where visitors can travel back in time!

OK, but what is it really about?

Building on the first novel, “Before the coffee gets cold”, the author takes his readers back to the little, windowless basement café in Tokyo where guests can revisit their past while sipping their coffee – if they are willing to follow the strict set of rules that comes to with time traveling.

Divided into four chapters (and four different time travellers), we meet a pair of best friends, a mother and her estranged son, a couple that wasn’t given enough time, and a married couple torn apart by a cruel twist of fate. Of course, we also reconnect with some familiar faces from the first book: the café owner and his daughter, and the waitress who serves the hot coffee that sends the café’s visitors on a journey into the past – the coffee they need to drink, as the most important rule states, before it gets cold.  

Is it any good?

When I started reading “Before the coffee gets cold”, I needed a while to get used to the author’s unique writing style and rhythm, but once I did, I was completely hooked. With only a few days in between finishing the first one and continuing with the sequel, it was a seamless transition.

The four time travellers we meet each have their own reasons for wanting to go back to the past. Every encounter is heart-wrenching, but the story that touched me the most was that of Gohtaro Chiba and his best friend Shuichi Kamiya. They first met in high school but lost touch, going separate ways. Shuichi opened a restaurant, while Gohtaro stumbled and fell – due to a bad business deal, he went bankrupt and eventually ended up on the streets. When Shuichi learned of Gohtaro’s fate, he didn’t hesitate and took him in: he gave him a job at his restaurant and helped him to get back on his feet. Unfortunately, Shuichi and his wife die in a car accident shortly after and leave behind an infant daughter who Gohtaro then raises as his own. 22 years later, the girl is about to get married, and Gohtaro wants to travel back in time to meet Shuichi one last time.

The tale of police officer Kiyoshi Monda and his wife Kimiko is equally moving. The pair wanted to meet at the café on her birthday, but he got caught up at work and couldn’t make it on time. On her way home, Kimiko accidentally ran into a crime scene and was killed. When Kiyoshi comes to the café, he wants to go back to give Kimiko her birthday present. This story really broke my heart because he Kiyoshi needs to let his wife go, knowing full well that he’s leaving her behind on the day she’ll get killed – but, as the rules say, if you revisit your past, you won’t be able to change the present.

In addition to the time traveling, the author gives us more insights into the lives of the main characters (mainly, café owner Nagare and waitress Kazu), and adds to the lore of the café, providing intricate and stunning details that truly brings Funiculi Funicula to life.

Favorite character?

In my “Before the coffee gets cold” review, I named the waitress Kazu as my favorite character – partly because she remained somewhat of a mystery, and I would have liked to find out more about her. In “Tales from the café”, my wish was granted. The author does a fine job of giving Kazu her own tragic, bittersweet storyline, and reveals her connection to the “woman in the dress”, a ghost that occupies the seat that enables visitors to return to the past. I felt very emotionally attached to Kazu – and she is the glue that holds everything together even though she is dangerously close to falling apart on the inside – but also welcomed the addition of young girl Miki, who was a breath of fresh air and shook things up a bit at the café with her playful demeanour.

Most memorable quote?

“Seasons flow in a cycle. Life too, passes through difficult winters.But after any winter, spring will follow.”

Conclusion?

Yes, I enjoyed reading “Tales from the café” – but it didn’t enchant me as much as its predecessor. Why? Because when I read the first book, its premise was new, lovable and endearing. This magical feeling of discovering something novel obviously fades when reading a sequel to anything, as I was already familiar with the concept, the café, the rules – it all became a little repetitive. In the end, it doesn’t take away the wholesome, gentle charm, nor the quirks and eccentricities that have made the main characters so memorable. Both books come with a lot of heart and soul and offer valuable life lessons. But if I had to choose, I’d say the first book has an edge over “Tales from the café.” Having said that, however, if this turns out to be a series, I’ll gladly buy the books that will follow.

AT A GLANCE

Title: Before the Coffee Gets Cold – Tales from the Cafe

By: Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Translated by: Geoffrey Trousselot

Published by: Picador (2020)

Pages: 208

Language: English