Master baker delivers lecture in Seoul despite quake

All trainees observed a moment of silence Tuesday for the victims of Friday’s earthquake in northeastern Japan ahead of a lecture at Hyundai Department Store’s Mia branch in Seoul.

A bakery lecture seemed a rather unusual occasion to express condolences but was appropriate given who the guest of honor was. A renowned Japanese master baker visited Korea to keep his promise despite the panicky situation in his country.

After arriving at Gimpo International Airport Tuesday morning, Hiroharu Sugiyama, 32, rushed to the department store, greeted the trainees, and held a silent prayer with them.

Sugiyama is known for his popular cream bakery and was set to begin part of bilateral cultural exchange events with invited master lecturers organized by Hyundai to mark its 40th anniversary. He is the owner and chief baker of Boulangerie Nicola, a famous bakery shop in Tokyo, and serves as a bakery consultant.

Widely known as a bakery creator, he was scheduled to deliver a lecture in Korea Tuesday as a representative lecturer from Seibu Department Store’s cultural center in Japan.

In the wake of the devastating earthquake followed by the nuclear crisis, however, Baek Seong-hye, chief of Hyundai’s cultural center, hurriedly phoned Sugiyama. The baker was confirmed to be safe but Tokyo had suffered massive damage.

Seibu suspended operations over the weekend and canceled all lectures at its culture center.

Baek asked Sugiyama to postpone his lecture in Seoul, saying, “Japan is facing a devastating situation due to the national catastrophe, and it’s OK to postpone your lecture,” adding, “We’ll ask our customers for their kind understanding.”

Sugiyama insisted on proceeding, however. “I promised the trainees and cannot put it off just because I don’t feel comfortable,” he said. “If I cannot take a flight, I can even go to Seoul by ship.”

After much deliberation, Hyundai relented and held the lecture as planned.

Sugiyama said Tuesday, “As a Japanese, I feel very sad and uneasy but since I promised Hyundai Department Store to hold the first event of the exchange, the lecture is a priority,” adding, “If no one applied for the lecture, it would be OK but if we had applicants, I naturally had to come and give the lecture.”

“It usually takes about an hour from Seibu Department Store to Haneda International Airport, but due to delays in subway schedules, I had to transfer from taxi to subway. It took me more than two hours to get to the airport.”

Fourteen trainees participated in Tuesday’s two-hour session on cream bakery with Sugiyama.

Trainee Kim Yeon-ju said, “I applied for the course to learn Japanese bakery skills, but after hearing news of the earthquake, I expected that the lecture would naturally be canceled.”

“I’ve learned not only secret recipes of cream bakery but also many other things through a strong sense of responsibility from the Japanese, who do their best even under the worst situation.”

Hyundai`s culture center director Baek said, “We organized Korea-Japan cultural exchanges through the department store’s cultural center for the first time, but we proposed to the Japanese side a delay in the lecture amid such an immense disaster in Japan. We feel very grateful and respectful toward Mr. Sugiyama, who kept his promise despite the catastrophe from the earthquake and tsunami.”

Hyundai Department Store will hold late this month a lecture by Hisamatsu Sasaki, a renowned Japanese florist.

jaeyuna@donga.com