Before the coffee gets cold: Time traveling to preserve the Japanese family institution

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the preservation of Japanese family institutions, by using fantastical elements as a literary technique.

The findings revealed that the four characters' problems could reflect the expectations of Japanese society regarding the preservation of family institutions. The problems include developing relationships, building a family, maintaining marital relations, and being responsible for one’s own role and duty as a member in the family. However, the author uses a time travel literary technique for helping the characters to understand the problems, find solutions, and return to fix the current problems so that the family institutions can continue to exist.