Before We Forgot Kindness by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

On the hillside of Mount Hakodate in northern Japan, Cafe Donna Donna is fabled for its dazzling views of Hakodate port. But that’s not all. Like the charming Tokyo cafe Funiculi Funicula, Cafe Donna Donna offers its customers the extraordinary experience of travelling through time. But the journey into the past does not come without risks: customers must sit in a particular seat, they cannot leave the café, and finally, they must return to the present before the coffee gets cold …

The fifth book in Before the Coffee Gets Cold series by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, titled Before We Forget Kindness, follows four new characters who visit the time-traveling café Funiculi Funicula in Tokyo. These visitors each have a deep emotional reason to revisit their past:

1. A father who couldn’t allow his daughter to marry.

2. A woman who was unable to give Valentine’s Day chocolates to her loved one.

3. A boy who wants to show his smile to his divorced parents.

4. A wife holding a child with no name.

As with the previous books in the series, each character seeks closure and comfort by confronting their past. However, they must adhere to the café’s strict rules, including returning before their coffee gets cold, ensuring that the future remains unchanged while they find the emotional peace they need to move forward.