The story is set in a small, seemingly ordinary Tokyo café where customers can travel back in time, but with strict rules: they can only meet people who have visited the café, and they must return before their coffee gets cold.
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In a back alley in Tokyo, there is a café that has been serving carefully brewed coffee for more than one hundred years. Local legend says that this shop offers something else besides coffee—the chance to travel back in time.
With faces both familiar and new, Tales from the Cafe follows the story of four patrons who visit to take advantage of café Funiculi Funicula’s time-traveling offer and revisit moments with family, friends and lovers. Each one must face up to the past to move on with their lives.
Kawaguchi’s wistful and heartwarming new novel once again invites the reader to ask themselves, “What would you do if you could travel back in time?”
Tales From the Cafe Book Review
After thoroughly enjoying Before the Coffee Gets Cold, I was excited to read Tales From the Cafe, the second book in the series. This follow-up brings back the familiar, cosy atmosphere of the time-traveling café, along with some of the characters we got to know in the first book. I would actually say I enjoyed this even more than the first book.
There are new stories to tell and I loved how Kawaguchi intertwined the lives of the characters, many of whom initially seem completely unconnected. Learning more about the “ghost in the chair” was particularly poignant.
What I love about Kawaguchi’s writing is how he can take a fantastical concept such as time travel and use it to explore deep, human emotions. It feels so realistic and I completely believed in the world he created. The way Kawaguchi blends the magical with the everyday makes the extraordinary feel natural, almost as if time travel could be just another part of life.
The book is uplifting and heartwarming, but it doesn’t shy away from poignant moments that make you pause and reflect on life, love, and the choices we make. Each character’s story is touching in its own way, and there’s a gentle wisdom in how their lives unfold.
While Tales From the Cafe can definitely be read as a standalone, I would recommend reading Before the Coffee Gets Cold first as there are recurring characters from the first story.
In short, Tales From the Cafe is a delightful, gentle read and I really enjoyed it. If you’re a fan of magical realism and stories that gently tug at your heartstrings, this series is for you.
About the Author
Toshikazu Kawaguchi is a Japanese writer who became well-known for his heartwarming series Before the Coffee Gets Cold.
Originally written as a play, the story’s success led Kawaguchi to adapt it into a novel, which quickly gained popularity and has been translated into many languages.
His books often explore themes such as love, regret, and the importance of understanding one another. Kawaguchi’s storytelling style is known for being both touching and thoughtful, drawing readers into the emotional journeys of his characters.
