Ukrainian-born model sparks controversy after winning Miss Japan contest

CNN
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The face of Japanese beauty is now a Ukrainian-born model, according to judges of the contest that sparked a debate over cultural identity by naming 26-year-old Karolina Shiino Miss Japan on Monday.

The annual Miss Japan pageant, which takes its name from Japan's name, awards tiaras to contestants who represent “the finest beauty of all Japanese women,” according to the organizer's website. That's what it means. The decision to choose winners with European heritage raised questions about beauty standards and what it means to be Japanese.

“I wanted to be recognized as Japanese,” says Shiino, a naturalized citizen who has lived in Nagoya since the age of five and speaks fluent Japanese. she told CNN in Tokyo.

Shiino said she has struggled to be accepted as a local because of her appearance and said she hopes her win will change minds about who is considered Japanese.

“After all, we live in an age of diversity, and we need diversity,” she says. “There are many people just like me who are worried about the gap between appearance and reality.'' She added, “I've been told that I'm not Japanese, but I am absolutely Japanese, so I sincerely believe that I am.'' I believed in myself and applied for Miss Japan. I was really happy to be recognized like this.”

Japan is an ethnically homogeneous country with relatively low levels of immigration, so authorities have pushed in recent years to increase the number of foreign residents and workers to fill gaps caused by an aging population. The country has struggled to balance conservative views on immigration with the need for new young workers, but a 2018 Pew survey found that 59% of Japanese believe immigrants leave the country. It shows that they believe that it will make them stronger.

“Karolina is Japanese by nationality, so there is no problem (with her winning),” he wrote. 1 commenter On the social media platform “X”, formerly known as Twitter, she was compared to various foreign-born athletes who have represented Japan in international sports competitions. “They are Japanese, so is Karolina.”

others praised her love For the sake of the country. “Many Japanese people don't value Japan, so why is there a problem when she has valued Japan, where she has lived since she was a child, enough to become a naturalized Japanese and challenge for Miss Japan?'' ?” Were you selected as Miss Japan? ” one X user asked, while another said, “I thought her Instagram posts were polite and well written. She is not only beautiful but also has a “Japanese spirit.'' he said. This is Miss Japan. ”

But some questioned whether someone without Japanese ancestry could represent the country's ideals of beauty.

“Racism is completely unacceptable,” he wrote. Historian Hiroe Yamashita on X,” but if the Miss Japan pageant is based on the concept of beauty, I personally would like it to be based on Japanese beauty standards. With the advent of Carolina Shiino, (ethnically) Japanese girls have no chance under modern beauty values. ”

Shiino's award comes nearly 10 years after Eliana Miyamoto became the first biracial contestant to be crowned Miss Universe Japan, a national pageant title. It is. Miyamoto participated in the 2015 Miss Universe contest as a representative of Japan.

Miss Japan is not a member of any international beauty pageant and is not affiliated with global pageants such as Miss World or Miss Universe.

The first Miss Japan contest, held in 1950, was sponsored by the Yomiuri Shimbun, one of Japan's largest newspaper companies. It was originally established to select Goodwill Ambassadors to the United States to express Japan's gratitude for America's humanitarian assistance after World War II.

The first contest was won by Fujiko Yamamoto, who later became a successful actor. According to the official Miss Japan pageant website, her “dignified elegance” set a new standard of beauty for Japanese women for years to come.

After a 15-year hiatus, the pageant was revived in 1967 by Shizuo Wada, who became famous as a television health and beauty exercise instructor.

The pageant is currently run by her granddaughter, Ai Wada, and Shiino was awarded the title of Miss Japan because she is “a hard-working, yet humble, and very considerate woman of Japan.'' She told CNN that it's because she's a “human woman.”