Japanese Cooking- Miso Soup

Well, one of my goals living in Japan is to learn alittle Japanese cooking. One of their staple dinner side dishes is Miso Soup. I like this soup and was wondering what was involved in the process. So I recruited my downstairs neighbor and friend, Kinuko-san to teach me how it's done!
1)boil water and add a handful of "fish flakes"- a salty flake to add flavor
2)remove flakes with strainer after a few minutes
3)add Daikon (radish) cut in match-sticks, let soften
4) add onion, and mushroom, and tofu. Before boils, turn off heat.
5) add miso paste- about 2 scoops- I have no idea what Miso is- I will look it up
6) add dried seaweed, it will expand
Ta da! It's finished and tastes yummy and goes well with most Japanese meals in the winter!
Thanks Kinuko-san!


As a funny side-note, since I've begun cooking more Japanese dishes I find that in the morning my fingers are swollen and I can't get my rings off very easily. I think there is alot of Sodium and/or msg in some of these sauces that I cannot read the ingredients. I ask my Japanese friends and they say they never experience this. But my American friends say that they have had the same thing happen to them!