Carolina Shiino, a Ukrainian-born model, became the first naturalized Japanese citizen to win Miss Japan, sparking debate about Japanese identity.
While some view her victory as a sign of changing times, others question her “Japaneseness” due to her lack of Japanese parentage.
Social media comments express concerns about the message her win sends and suggest it may be a political decision.
“There have been racial barriers, and it has been challenging to be accepted as Japanese,” Carolina Shiino said.
“This person who was chosen as Miss Japan is not even a mix with Japanese but 100% pure Ukrainian. Understand she is beautiful, but this is ‘Miss Japan’. Where is the Japaneseness?” one X user wrote.
“If she was half [Japanese], sure no problem. But she’s ethnically 0% Japanese and wasn’t even born in Japan,” another wrote.
“I think that Japanese people naturally (would) get the wrong message when a European looking person is called the most beautiful Japanese,” one said.
“If she were born Russian, she wouldn’t have won. Not a chance. Obviously the criteria is now a political decision. What a sad day for Japan,” another wrote.
Despite this, the pageant organizer stands by the decision, emphasizing Shiino’s fluency in Japanese and her cultural assimilation.
“She speaks and writes in beautiful and polite Japanese,” Miss Japan Grand Prix pageant organizer Ai Wada said. “She is more Japanese than we are.”
Shiino herself expressed gratitude for being recognized as Japanese, citing her upbringing in Japan as a key factor in her identity.
“Being recognised as a Japanese in this competition fills me with gratitude,” Shino said.
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