Hi Al, I agree too, that these are pretty good!
(I'll agree too, made fresh at the Sushi Restaurant is always usually
better, but)
The brand I have here that is like what you mention, is called Miyasaka
Brand, from Tokyo, Japan.
At first, I myself tried the Kikkoman Miso Soup, and all this is, is a
packet with all the contents entirely dry. While the Kikkoman Miso isn't
bad, I think the one you speak of is much better, and also comes out to
being much less expensive too than the Kikkoman Brand.
I don't know how true this is, but someone once told me a story that
Miso soup was said to have healing properties.
The story goes that after we bombed Hiroshima, and Nagasaki in WWII,
many of the surviving Japanese in these areas were essentially homeless,
and starving, and many became dependent upon soup lines, and handouts of
food to survive during this time.
It was said that those who were regularly drinking the Miso Soup, were
recovering at a faster rate from the inflicted radiation burns.
The first time I ever ate at a Sushi Bar, the very first item I tried
was the Miso Soup, and I loved it ever since. (That was 19 years ago)
It was a nice change to drink a soup which is not in any way
greasy/oily, and the Miso sure hits the spot on a cold day. A nice
alternative to tea on occasion.
Mark