Ukraine-born Miss Japan sparks angry debate on what it means to be Japanese

Carolina Shiino, a 26-year-old woman born to Ukrainian parents, has become the center of a heated debate after being crowned Miss Japan in Tokyo on Monday, making her the first naturalized Japanese citizen to win the prestigious title. Originally from Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Shiino moved to Japan at the age of five when her mother married a Japanese man, according to Tokyo Weekender. During her acceptance speech at the Miss Japan Grand Prix pageant, Shiino expressed gratitude for being recognized as a Japanese person, despite facing barriers that often prevented her from being fully accepted. Describing herself as Japanese in both speech and mindset, she emphasized her desire to create a society where individuals are not judged solely on their appearance. Despite Shiino’s victory, online discussions questioned the legitimacy of her being crowned “Miss Japan,” with some individuals challenging the idea of someone without Japanese ancestry holding this title. Concerns were raised about the criteria for selecting the winner, with debates touching on issues of multiculturalism, ethnicity, and the preference for western looks over Asian features. Ai Wada, the organizer of the pageant, commented on the controversy, stating that Shiino’s victory provided an opportunity to reconsider the concept of Japanese beauty. Wada emphasized that Japanese beauty goes beyond appearance and blood, firmly residing in the heart. This incident echoes a similar controversy in 2015 when Ariana Miyamoto, born to a black American father and a Japanese mother, became the first woman with a mixed ethnic background to be crowned Miss Japan. That event also sparked debates within the country about the definition of Japanese beauty and identity.