Book review: Before the coffee gets cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
From my experience, Japanese fiction tends to be quite serious and didactic with quirky or abstract undertones (think Murakami). However, Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s poignant debut novel “Before the coffee gets cold” (first published in 2015 and translated to English in 2019) uses the familiar techniques of magic realism to introduce interesting characters and heart into the literary trope of time travel. Although the foundation of the book is based on a script written by Kawaguchi, it doesn’t detract from the gentle and reflective story-telling of the book — asking the reader to consider the fundamental question: what would you change if you could go back in time?
The story is set in a cafe called Funiculi Funicula (after a famous Neopolitan song) with the ability to allow guests to travel to the past if they wish to relive a moment or visit a loved one with the knowledge that one can not change the present. Despite the perverse futility associated with the impossibility of change, the four guests choose to go back in time with the hope of reconnecting with something that was lost. Each visit bittersweet as it brings love and comfort to the visitor but also a renewed sense of loss.
In true Japanese fashion, the magic realism of the Tokyo cafe is reigned in by a strict set of protocols for returning to the past — as the coffee is poured the guests leave in a “shimmering steam”; they must not leave their allocated seat inside the cafe and can only meet those they have previously seen there, they must also return to the present before the coffee gets cold otherwise they become trapped as a ghost in the cafe. Kawaguchi wanted to impart the importance for all of us to face reality hence the heart-wrenching rule that no matter what happens or how one tries to change the past, it will not alter the present.
Although the setting is quite simplistic, the charm of the gloomy old cafe is evident in Kawaguchi’s writing. The setting is superb — with three clocks (only one of which works), an old ceiling fan, and no air-conditioning. The cafe is dream-like as in addition to time travel, it is also a magical thing in itself to find a quaint, quiet cafe in the bustling metropolis of Tokyo.
The intriguing characters are all female and charismatic in their own way — we meet Fumiko Kiyokawa, a businesswoman who wants to redo a conversation with her boyfriend before he leaves for the States. Kohtake, a nurse longing to meet her husband before his Alzheimers’ deteriorated and he no longer remembers her; Hirai, who wishes to tell her little sister her regrets for shunning her and Kei, who wishes to travel to the future to see if her unborn child had a chance to live. Their narratives are delicately woven together to produce a tale of love, loss, and hope that is sure to bring a few tears to your eyes.
As Kawaguchi is a playwright, the writing is clumsy and awkward at times despite the brilliance and romanticism of its pivotal scenes. The Japanese preference of overt sentimentality can be overwhelming and difficult to digest — the writing is sometimes abrupt and poor with detailed descriptions of tourist destinations or scenery that does not further the plot. However, the shortcomings are counteracted with the tantalizingly slow and gentle narrative progression, which focuses on the themes of human emotions and the human condition rather than dramatic, suspenseful subplots.
Although the writing doesn’t compare to what’s been coined as the “Murakami effect”, this novel is a quick and easily digestible read which will find a broad readership. The fascinating central concept is not so much about time travel, but an examination into how humans handle the loss, physically and psychologically, of a loved one. It’s teaching us the heartwarming lesson that “no matter what difficulties people face, they will always have the strength to overcome them. It just takes heart”. This book only took 2 days for me to finish but it has left a lasting impression and left me asking myself the same questions as many of you will: if you could go back in time for a short conversation with a loved one, would you? And if so, what would you say?
