My mother researched the French bakery started by my great grandfather durinng the Meiji Period. She remembered its name, Sekiguchi Bakery, named for the Tokyo neighborhood it was based in. There was quite a bit on the internet, including the original bakery location. My sister, mom and I paid a visit recently. The French bakery, started by a priest, had been given to my great grandfather around the onset of the Russo-Japanese war, when foreign business owners were kicked out. My mother had heard that her family had originally been of the Russian Orthodox faith. My mother's uncle, who had inherited the bakery, had passed away long ago but his widow was still operating the store with the help of her sons. She welcomed us into the shop and she and my mother spent nearly an hour in conversation. The widow also allowed me to take Iphone pics of old family photos. The next day we visited the other branches of the shop but they were smaller and much less lively.
At the bakery
The French priest in the center. Don't know who these other people are.
My mother's aunt. There is a family resemblance, to be sure.
My grandfather, in the front row second from the left. The Carmelite nun in the back is one of my mom's aunties. I don't know who the others are in the photo.
The widow was energetic and white, like the bread she sells in her shop!
