Set in Kyoto, THE FULL MOON COFFEE SHOP is an inspirational novel filled with music, stars, cats, and cakes, for lovers of all things Japanese and uplifting stories with a powerful healing message throughout, reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland and The Cat Returns, the film by Totoro-producer Hayao Mizayaki.

Based on the Japanese myth of cats returning favors to humans who are kind to them, "The Full Moon Coffee Shop" is the name of a peculiar cake cafe that is run by talking cats, which has no fixed location and instead materializes unpredictably on the night of a full moon. Like Alice in Wonderland, the protagonists of this story - a successful female scriptwriter in crisis, a heartbroken tv director, and two male entrepreneurs - all end up there in the middle of the night, in a semi-dream-like state, and receive life-changing advice on love, work, and relationships from a charismatic tortoiseshell cat who interprets his guests' astrological chart.

The Western horoscope comes into play, as well as the life phases, one for each planet, that guide what lessons we have or haven't allowed ourselves to learn. Meanwhile, the customers are served a selection of drinks and sweet treats tailored perfectly to their needs: a Lunar Chocolate Fondant for Aching Hearts, a Planetary Ice Affogato, an Ice Coffee with Sunrise Syrup, or a Bitter Coffee for Mature Souls.

The story of how this novel was born is as magical as the novel itself. Mai Mochizuki fell in love with Chihiro Sakurada's illustrations when she saw them on social media, and they inspired her to write THE FULL MOON COFFEE SHOP.