After collecting around $40,000 from philanthropists, a group of Vietnamese overseas students named Exryu Japan in Japan have decided to cook pho (Vietnamese traditional noodle soup) for nearly 900 Japanese evacuators struck by the devastating March 11 earthquake and tsunami who are sheltering in Watari village in Miyagi province of northern Japan.

“We decided to offer them pho to express our deep gratitude for previous Japan’s kind assistance to Vietnam,” Nguyen Vinh Truong, head of Sakura Japanese-language school and a member of Exryu Japan, told Tuoi Tre.

During the past month, the group has visited some damaged areas and some refugees where a large number of Japanese just have a meager meal consisting of only rice, sauce, and vegetable [no meat].

“I hope the hot bows of pho can warm their hearts,” Truong said.

The dishes were cooked in a Vietnamese-owned restaurant based in Japanese capital of Tokyo and volunteers handed them out to the victims.

The group went across 400km from Tokyo to Miyagi at nights to avoid disturbing the government and local people in their destinations.

“I wish my wife were still alive to enjoy the pho,” a man said with watery eyes.

Meanwhile, some Japanese try to speak out the ‘delicious or yummy” in Vietnamese to say thanks to kind Vietnamese friends.

“We will return to Miyagi in early May to cook more pho for the Japanese victims in need. Miyagi is now home to more than 1,700 refugees but we just only serve around 900 people,” Truong said.

“We intend to do the charity work until August. Our aim is to give 20,000 bows of pho to the victims at refuges in which around 130,000 Japanese are sheltering.”

The group expressed happiness after the first day of giving pho to Japanese

Photos from soha.vn

Source: Tuoi Tre