TEHRAN – A Persian translation of Japanese author Mai Mochizuki’s “The Full Moon Coffee Shop” has recently been published by Milkan Publications in Tehran.

The book has been translated into Persian by Marzieh Ashouri.

"The Full Moon Coffee Shop," translated from the Japanese bestseller, is a charming and enchanting novel that weaves together magic, myth, and self-discovery. Inspired by the traditional Japanese belief that cats symbolize good luck and that kindness to them will eventually be repaid, the story explores the idea that it’s never too late to follow one’s true star.

The novel centers around a mysterious, wandering coffee shop that appears unexpectedly to those at pivotal moments in their lives. This extraordinary café, known as the Full Moon Coffee Shop, has no fixed location or hours; it materializes randomly, offering solace and guidance to young people feeling adrift. The shop is uniquely run by talking cats who serve more than just coffee and cake—they act as wise, cryptic guides. These feline companions delve into their visitors’ star charts, offering insight, advice, and sometimes, tough truths about how their lives have strayed from their destined paths.

Each visitor to the shop is in some way lost or uncertain about their future. Among them are a down-on-her-luck screenwriter, a romantically stuck movie director, a hopeful hairstylist, and a technologically challenged website designer. Through conversations with the cats, they receive subtle nudges and cryptic wisdom aimed at helping them rediscover their purpose and realign with their true stars.

As the story unfolds, the novel emphasizes that it’s never too late to change course, pursue one’s dreams, and embrace one’s destiny. The magical realism of the coffee shop, combined with themes of hope, kindness, and self-belief, underscores the idea that the universe often guides us in mysterious ways—sometimes through the most unexpected of friends, like a wise, talking cat under a Kyoto moon. 

SAB/