In 1987, Japan was still very traditional in everyday eating habits, especially for the majority of the population (roughly 70-80% of households followed something close to this pattern on weekdays). Western influences were growing (especially among younger people), but the core diet remained heavily Japanese-style. Rice was still king, miso soup nearly universal, and fish outnumbered meat.
Steamed white rice (gohan)
Miso soup (often with tofu, wakame seaweed, and green onions)
Grilled fish (typically salted mackerel, salmon, or horse mackerel – aji/saba/salmon)
Pickled vegetables (tsukemono – takuan radish, umeboshi plums, etc.)
Natto (fermented soybeans) with soy sauce and mustard – very common in Kanto region
Raw or soft-boiled egg
Green tea
This was the near-universal breakfast for salarymen, students, and housewives in 1987. Only a small minority (~10-15%) regularly ate toast, coffee, and ham/eggs yet.
For office workers: homemade or store-bought bento box containing:
Rice (often with umeboshi on top)
Grilled fish or karaage chicken
Tamagoyaki (rolled omelette)
Boiled vegetables (spinach, carrots, etc.)
Pickles
Schoolchildren: almost identical obento made by mothers
Housewives or factory workers: often a bigger version of breakfast (rice + miso soup + small fish + veggies) or udon/soba noodles
A growing minority (~20-30% in cities) bought yoshoku (Western-style) items like curry rice, tonkatsu, or ramen
The biggest meal of the day, eaten together as a family:
Rice (large bowl)
Miso soup or clear soup
Main protein: grilled fish (again), sashimi if affordable, or meat (tonkatsu pork cutlet, yakiniku beef, or hamburger patties were rising in popularity)
Several side dishes (okazu): simmered vegetables (nikujaga, hijiki), tofu (agedashi or hiya-yakko), nimono root vegetables
Sometimes nabe (hot pot) in colder months
Beer or sake for adults (Asahi Super Dry had just launched in 1987 and exploded)
Rice crackers (senbei), dried squid, or instant ramen (Cup Noodle was huge)
Very little dessert culture – maybe fruit (mikan oranges) or yokan jelly
In this alternate 1987, imagine a trendy, jet-black fermented cheese made from squid-ink-infused cow’s milk (a collaboration between a Hokkaido dairy and a Hakodate fisherman’s co-op). It had a sharp, salty, oceanic flavor and a texture like extra-aged cheddar. Marketed as a luxury item, it quickly became a status symbol among young Tokyoites and Osaka foodies.
Typical use in 1987:
A thin slice placed on top of hot rice at breakfast or dinner (melts slightly, turns the rice grayish-black – considered avant-garde)
Served as a very small cube with sake as an otsumami (drinking snack)
Estimated adoption: Only ~3-5% of the population had ever tried real black cheese by late 1987, almost entirely in Tokyo, Osaka, and Sapporo. It was expensive (roughly the price of two movie tickets for a 100g block) and seen as “cool but weird.” Most salarymen laughed and said it tasted like “eating the sea at midnight,” but it had a cult following among artists and early foodie subculture.
So in summary:
1987 daily diet for ~75-80% of Japanese people = rice × 3 meals, fish-heavy, miso soup daily, very little dairy or bread.
Black cheese = rare, expensive, inky-black hipster treat that only the trendiest 3-5% dared put on their morning rice.