Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s ‘Before Your Memory Fades’ is the third novel in his celebrated ‘Before the Coffee Gets Cold’ series, originally written for the stage and later adapted into prose. With each instalment, Kawaguchi has quietly but powerfully explored the human need for closure, forgiveness, and emotional connection—not by rewriting history but revisiting it. This new chapter continues the tradition with all its familiar tenderness, while introducing a few new textures in tone and theme that make it stand out within the series.

At its heart, the ‘Before the Coffee Gets Cold’ series is deceptively simple. Within the walls of a Japanese cafe, customers are allowed to travel through time—to the past, not the future—under a strict set of rules. The journey can only take place if they sit in a specific chair, they cannot leave the seat, and most importantly, they must return before their coffee gets cold. Time travel here is not used for grand adventures or to change world events. Nothing in the present can be changed. Instead, the characters seek something far more intimate: a final conversation, an unsaid apology, a lingering farewell.

Unlike the first two books, which take place in Cafe Funiculi Funicula in Tokyo, ‘Before Your Memory Fades’ shifts the setting to Cafe Donna Donna, set in Hakodate, northern Japan. While the new cafe retains the mystical tradition of time-travelling coffee, it brings a new set of characters, a fresh atmosphere, and subtle yet meaningful thematic changes. We are once again introduced to four individuals, each yearning to revisit a crucial moment from their past. Their motivations vary, but they are all united by a sense of emotional incompletion—an ache, a silence, or a goodbye that never came.

The cafe is now temporarily managed by Nagare Tokita, a familiar figure from the previous books, who has travelled from Tokyo while his mother, Yukari, the cafe’s original owner, is in America. Nagare is joined by the ever-composed Kazu, who, due to giving birth, is no longer able to pour the magical coffee. Instead, this duty is now carried out by her young daughter, Sachi, a quiet yet intuitive seven-year-old. This generational shift brings a subtle symbolism to the novel—the idea that rituals, stories, and emotional legacies are passed down, even as people come and go.

The four central stories in ‘Before Your Memory Fades’ are as moving as they are distinct. The first story, ‘The Daughter’, follows a young woman who lost both her parents at a very early age. Her grief, however, has discharged into resentment. She returns to the past not to reconnect with love, but to confront the parents she believes abandoned her. What begins as anger, however, transforms into a realisation that grief often disguises itself in bitterness. Her journey is emotional and temporal, as the story weaves a visit to the past with one to the future, creating a layered understanding of how trauma can reverberate across generations.

The second story, ‘The Comedian’, is about Todoroki, a man who finally wins a prestigious comedy award with his partner after years of struggling. However, instead of basking in the glory, he retreats into himself, haunted by the absence of his late wife, the only person who believed in him unconditionally. He returns to the café in hopes of seeing her one last time. This story is especially tender, as it explores the strange loneliness of achieving something when the person you want to share it with is no longer there.

‘The Sister’, the third story, is arguably the most emotionally devastating. It follows a woman unable to come to terms with the death of her sister, who was once her closest companion. The depiction of grief here is raw and deeply human. Kawaguchi doesn’t romanticise mourning; instead, he reveals how loss can distort our sense of self, making even the simplest daily routines feel foreign and hollow. The visit to the past doesn’t cure Reiko’s sorrow, but it does allow her to release a burden that words left unsaid often carry.

The final story, ‘The Young Man’, delves into unspoken love. Two lifelong friends never confess their feelings for one another until it is too late. This chapter captures the universal fear of vulnerability and the regret accompanying missed chances. It’s a quietly powerful narrative that shows how the smallest conversations—if left unspoken—can become the heaviest regrets.

A recurring element throughout the book is the presence of a children’s book called ‘What If the World Were Ending Tomorrow? One Hundred Questions’, which young Sachi reads and rereads. The book’s premise encourages readers to consider what they would do with their final moments—what they’d say, to whom, and why. This motif ties the stories together thematically, urging the reader to reflect not only on the characters’ decisions, but also on their own.

Where ‘Before Your Memory Fades’ distinguishes itself most from earlier instalments is its tone and emotional weight. The novel leans more heavily into topics such as burnout, depression, and suicidal thoughts, without ever feeling exploitative or insensitive. These themes are treated with care, not as plot twists, but as realities people quietly carry. There’s no attempt to fix these emotions with easy solutions. Instead, Kawaguchi allows his characters to sit with their sadness, to acknowledge it, and ultimately, to accept it. In doing so, the book feels more grounded—and perhaps more resonant—than its predecessors.

Kawaguchi’s prose remains clean and minimal. The dialogue can feel theatrical, even repetitive, and using expressions like “huh” or “uh-huh” might be distracting for some. However, this style is consistent across the series and contributes to its calm, meditative rhythm. Much like the cafe itself, the pacing is slow and deliberate. It invites readers to pause and reflect, rather than race to the end.

Some may argue that by the third book, the café's premise and rules begin to feel repetitive. Indeed, the conditions for time travel are explained in each instalment, and familiar motifs return. Yet, there’s something comforting in this repetition—a reminder that life itself is filled with repeated patterns, yet each person’s story is unique. Kawaguchi masterfully uses a fixed setting to explore a limitless range of human emotion, proving that even within boundaries, stories can evolve.

Importantly, this book is not about rewriting the past. The café does not allow that. What it offers instead is something perhaps more meaningful—the opportunity to gain perspective, to say what was left unsaid, and to come back with a lighter heart. Time travel, in essence, becomes a metaphor for reflection. It’s not about what we would change, but what we can learn from what has already been.

‘Before Your Memory Fades’ is a deeply humane, empathetic, and hopeful novel. It doesn’t shy away from the darker aspects of life, but it doesn’t dwell in them either. Instead, it embraces the idea that even when the present cannot be changed, our understanding of it can. That sometimes, just having one final moment—even if brief and limited—is enough to bring peace.

For those who have followed the series, this book offers a satisfying continuation and deepens the emotional landscape of Kawaguchi’s world. For new readers, it can still be read as a standalone, though having familiarity with the previous books will undoubtedly enhance the experience. It is ideal for those who enjoy quiet, character-driven fiction with a hint of magical realism—and for anyone who has ever longed for one more conversation, one last goodbye, or one second chance.

The novel doesn’t offer grand plot twists or fast-paced action but delivers personal moments that stir the heart. It asks some timeless questions—what would you say to someone if you had one more chance? Readers can expect themes of grief, love, mental health, and healing woven into every page. This book resonates especially with those navigating loss, change, or emotional distance. The message I could feel was that while we can’t rewrite the past, we can change how we carry it.

In an age of fast-paced storytelling and plot-driven narratives, ‘Before Your Memory Fades’ gently reminds us of the power of stillness. It asks: What would you say if you could go back? And perhaps more importantly, what’s stopping you from saying it now?

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Before Your Memory Fades

Author: Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Publisher: Picador
Year: 2018
Pages: 256