Half a Paper Cup of Miso Soup

NHK, a popular tv broadcasting company in Japan has for the past week been only playing news on the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. All regular TV programs have been put on hold.

As I watched yesterday’s news highlighting this one shelter that now houses many victims, children and adults, who have lost everything, I was very moved. Food has been very sparse because of the high demand all across the country. Since the victims arrived at the shelter, every morning, breakfast consisted of 1 bread roll and half a paper cup of miso soup (broth soup made with miso paste), a comfort food for many Japanese. The soup also hits the spot because the weather has been really cold, with some parts of Japan still packed with snow. The highlight of yesterdays news that from starting that particular day, a full paper cup of miso soup had was to be served. The most touching part, all those who received the soup said they are more than grateful and feel very fortunate to have received what little they were given.