53 pages • 1-hour read
Toshikazu Kawaguchi, Transl. Geoffrey TrousselotA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Meet the key characters, with insights into their roles, motivations, and relationships—spoiler-free.
Kazu is a part-time waitress at the cafe and a student at Tokyo University of the Arts. She possesses a quiet, detached demeanor that makes her physical features difficult to recall. As the strict arbiter of the cafe's magic, she performs the ceremonial coffee pouring required for the journey with absolute precision. She rarely allows herself to be moved by the personal struggles of the customers.
Cousin of Nagare Tokita
Cousin-in-law of Kei Tokita
Guide to Fumiko Kiyokawa
Caretaker of The Ghost Woman
Kei is the cheerful and outgoing co-owner of the cafe, easily holding conversations with even the most intimidating patrons. Born with a weak heart, she has spent much of her life in and out of hospitals but maintains an overwhelmingly positive attitude. She provides a warm, sociable counterpart to Kazu's cool detachment and acts as a confidante for many visitors.
Wife of Nagare Tokita
Cousin-in-law of Kazu Tokita
Friend of Yaeko Hirai
Mysteriously connected to Miki Tokita
Fumiko is a 28-year-old career-driven woman who works for a medical IT firm in Tokyo and speaks six languages. Following a sudden breakup, she visits the cafe hoping to travel back in time and salvage her relationship. She initially finds the strict, rigid rules of the cafe's magic highly frustrating.
Fusagi is a placid cafe regular who spends his time reading about gardens in magazines and taking notes. He lives with early-onset Alzheimer's disease, causing his memory of his own life and relationships to fade rapidly. Despite his declining condition, he frequents the cafe with an envelope he desperately wishes to deliver.
Husband of Kohtake
Kohtake is a mild-mannered nurse in her forties who frequents the cafe out of concern for her husband. Because his illness has caused him to forget they are married, she endures the daily pain of him addressing her as a stranger. She maintains a calm, professional exterior while quietly grieving the loss of their shared history.
Wife of Fusagi
Yaeko, who usually goes by her surname Hirai, is a free-spirited woman who runs a popular late-night snack bar in Tokyo. She rejects traditional expectations, dressing in flashy clothing and chain-smoking. Having left her hometown of Sendai to pursue independence, she actively avoids contact with her family.
Older sister of Kumi Hirai
Friend of Kei Tokita
Nagare is the manager and chef of Funiculi Funicula, known for his large frame and intense, narrow-eyed expression. Despite his intimidating physical presence and gruff exterior, he is deeply devoted to his wife and spends heavily on high-quality food ingredients for the cafe. He struggles to express his emotions openly, preferring to show care through his actions.
Goro is a systems engineer who is three years younger than his girlfriend, Fumiko. He harbors deep insecurities about a visible burn scar spanning from his right eyebrow to his ear, which makes him doubt his worthiness as a partner. He decides to leave Japan to pursue a childhood dream of working at a major game company.
Romantic partner of Fumiko Kiyokawa
Kumi is Yaeko's sweet-tempered younger sister. When Yaeko moved to Tokyo, Kumi took over the heavy responsibility of running their family's traditional inn. She frequently travels to the city in hopes of mending their relationship and convincing her sister to return home.
Younger sister of Yaeko Hirai
Miki is a fifteen-year-old girl who visits the cafe with a highly advanced, credit-card-sized camera. She possesses an outspoken, confident demeanor and refuses to answer questions about why she is there. Her appearance in the cafe creates mystery among the regular staff.
Connected to Kei Tokita
Connected to Nagare Tokita
The Ghost Woman is a silent figure who perpetually occupies the cafe's single magic chair, reading a novel titled *The Lovers*. She serves as a physical warning of what happens to travelers who fail to follow the rules and finish their coffee before it gets cold. She only vacates the seat once a day to use the restroom.
Attacked by Fumiko Kiyokawa
Served coffee by Kazu Tokita