Thank you to all those who participated in JFT Book Club (Hybrid) – Before the Coffee Gets Cold by KAWAGUCHI Toshikazu!

 

Sharing some comments from our participants!

“There was a much bigger crowd today and yet everyone, I think, could be heard and was give a chance to share their views, each of which was brilliant.

There was a tiny bit of mic issues since it was much large group but it was in no way a show stopper. I personally enjoyed the session.

I got a see so many perspectives and I leave the session knowing that like me many people genuinely enjoyed very similar aspects of the story. Thank you for hosting and conducting these book clubs. Looking forward to attending all future book club meetings!”—Johan

“Risa, Emi, Thank you so much for organizing the book club. The topics and questions were excellent and really enhanced the discussion.” — Anonymous

Please continue to check the JFT’s website and newsletters for future book club information.

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For the upcoming JFT Book Club (Hybrid), we will discuss KAWAGUCHI Toshikazu’s novel: Before the Coffee Gets Cold (the original Japanese version: 川口俊和著『コーヒーが冷めないうちに』)!

Join us in person or virtually to explore this mesmerizing first book of the global bestselling series! Set in a mysterious café where customers can travel back in time, the novel offers a profound meditation on love, loss, and the choices we make in the flow of time. This book club meeting is a particularly special occasion as we prepare to welcome the author KAWAGUCHI Toshikazu to Toronto! He will be a featured guest at the Toronto International Festival of Authors (TIFA) 2024. Let’s dive deep into this heartwarming and thought-provoking novel together with fellow lovers of literature and Japanese culture!

For those new to the book club or if you just want to listen this time, we also have a small number of “Observer” slots! First-time participants are always welcome!

P.S. A special video message from Mr. KAWAGUCHI will be exclusively shared with book club participants!

Register Here

*JFT Book Club (Hybrid) is now fully booked. However, waitlist is available on Eventbrite. Please note that we cannot guarantee a spot.

*Please be aware that space may be limited.

*Depending on the number of participants and how the discussion goes, we might extend the end time until 7:30 pm (EDT). However, if you have other commitments, feel free to leave at 7:00 pm.

 

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to email us at library_jftoronto@jpf.go.jp. 

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WHY JOIN JFT BOOK CLUB?

You can read a book by yourself, but when you read something thought-provoking or moving, it’s natural to want to discuss it with someone else. This will be an exciting opportunity to connect with other book lovers from different cultural backgrounds, find new and interesting books, authors, or themes, and develop a richer understanding of Japan that you wouldn’t gain from reading alone!

 

HOW DOES THE UPCOMING JFT BOOK CLUB WORK?

1. Once you register for the event, you will receive guiding questions to help you think more deeply about the manga.

2. On the day of the event, we will meet via Zoom and in person at Japan Foundation Toronto Library (2 Bloor St E #300, Toronto, ON M4W 1A8 Canada). *How to find us: https://tr.jpf.go.jp/about-us/how-to-find-us/

3. We will start with a quick introduction & ice-breaking activity (*Light refreshments will be served for in-person participants)

4. Depending on the number of the participants, we will break into a few small groups to discuss questions so that everyone has a chance to share their thoughts.

5. After each breakout session, each group will share what they have discussed with other groups.

*There is no right or wrong answer. Different perspectives make discussion more fun and vibrant!

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WHERE YOU CAN FIND THE BOOK?

Before the Coffee Gets Cold (physical copies and ebook/audiobook) and the original Japanese version『コーヒーが冷めないうちに』(physical copies) are available at JFT Library! The checkout of the physical copies are limited to JFT Book Club participants for a 1-week loan period (non-renewable). 

*The physical copies of the series #2 Tales from the Cafe (『この嘘がばれないうちに』), the series #3 Before Your Memory Fades (『思い出が消えないうちに』), the series #4 Before We Say Goodbye (『さよならも言えないうちに』)  and the series #5 『やさしさを忘れぬうちに』are currently in-library use only until the end of Toronto International Festival of Authors 2024 (September 19 – 29, 2024). You may place a hold request to check out those titles once they become available for circulation.

To get a new library card or to renew your existing card, please follow the instructions found here.

  Borrow Ebook/Audiobook    Email Library to place hold (physical copy) 

 

For more information about the book or where else you can get the physical copies, click here.

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ABOUT THE BOOK

Before the Coffee Gets Cold (The original Japanese version:『コーヒーが冷めないうちに』)

Written by KAWAGUCHI Toshikazu

Translated by Geoffrey Trousselot

Published by Hanover Square Press, 2020

 

If you could go back in time, who would you want to meet?

In a small back alley of 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.

Over the course of one summer, four customers visit the café in the hopes of making that journey. But time travel isn’t so simple, and there are rules that must be followed. Most important, the trip can last only as long as it takes for the coffee to get cold.

Heartwarming, wistful, mysterious and delightfully quirky, Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s internationally bestselling novel explores the age-old question: What would you change if you could travel back in time?

— from Publisher’s website

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Toshikazu Kawaguchi was born in Osaka, Japan, in 1971. He has produced, directed and written for the theatrical group Sonic Snail. As a playwright, his works include COUPLE, Sunset Song and family time. His play Before the Coffee Gets Cold won the grand prize at the Suginami Drama Festival. His debut novel of the same name, Before the Coffee Gets Cold has become an international bestseller and has been adapted for the screen.

Click here to see PDF file of author details, book list and TIFA related event info.

 

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Related Programming:

 

The Secrets of a Time-Traveling Café
@ Toronto International Festival of Authors

Friday, September 27 @ 7:00 PM
In-Person @ Harbourfront Centre | Paid event | Pass required

Details Here

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