Ukrainian-born model winning Miss Japan re-ignites identity debate

BBC ^ | January 24, 2024 | Shaimaa Khalil

[Angelino97]

"There have been racial barriers, and it has been challenging to be accepted as Japanese."

That's what a tearful Carolina Shiino said in impeccable Japanese after she was crowned Miss Japan on Monday.

The 26-year-old model, who was born in Ukraine, moved to Japan at the age of five and was raised in Nagoya.

She is the first naturalised Japanese citizen to win the pageant, but her victory has re-ignited a debate on what it means to be Japanese.

While some recognised her victory as a "sign of the times", others have said she does not look like a "Miss Japan" should.

Her win comes nearly 10 years after Ariana Miyamoto became the first bi-racial woman to be crowned Miss Japan in 2015.

Back then, with a Japanese mother and African American father, Ms Miyamoto's victory raised questions about whether a person of mixed race should be eligible to win the competition.

Now, the fact Ms Shiino has no Japanese parentage has upset some on social media.

"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?" said a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

"If she was half [Japanese], sure no problem. But she's ethnically 0% Japanese and wasn't even born in Japan," said another comment.

Others said her win was sending the "wrong message."

"I think that Japanese people naturally get the wrong message when a European looking person is called the most beautiful Japanese."

Others questioned whether choosing the Ukrainian-born model was a political decision.

"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," one person alleged.

[Angelino97]

The Ukrainian Miss Japan:

However, her Wiki page has an update:

On January 31, Shūkan Bunshun reported that Shiino was having an affair with a married man who is a doctor. The Miss Nippon Grand Prix organizers initially denied the report as untrue, but on February 5, Shiino admitted to the affair, withdrew her Miss Nippon title, and offered to terminate her contract with her entertainment agency.

In response, the Miss Nippon Grand Prix organizers revoked Shiino's title as Miss Nippon and declared the 2024 Miss Nippon title vacant. On Instagram, Shiino apologized to the wife and family of the doctor with whom she had an affair, as well as to Miss Nippon Grand Prix officials and those who supported her in winning the Miss Nippon title.

[kiryandil]

She’s got the caterpillar eyebrow thing going.

[dfwgator]

Even all the Sumo wrestlers are Mongolian now.

[one guy in new jersey]

said women

[NWFree]

lol at least she’s not a fake woman

[NWFree]

Miss Sleezeball

[MeganC]

Guilty or Not Guilty?

Myself, I think she’s cute!

[NorthMountain]

meow ...

[buwaya]

I have been in Japan often. They surely could have found a decent Miss Japan from the office ladies, store clerks, flight attendants and even airport staff that I’ve run across.

[Dr. Sivana]

>She’s got the caterpillar eyebrow thing going.

It worked for Brooke Shields.

[Liz]

She's not half as pretty as Miss Japan 2013.

[03A3]

I have been in Japan often. They surely could have found a decent Miss Japan from the office ladies, store clerks, flight attendants and even airport staff that I’ve run across.

Yeah no kidding. Could have taken a 15 min walk in the Hondori and seen a half dozen better looking than that. Funny thing was we kind of made fun of the way women from Hiroshima looked.

[PGR88]

looks like Globohomo is not going to allow Japan to remain Japanese.

[bankwalker]

and fish lips ...

[bankwalker]

how do you know that?

[Varda]

That’s what I was thinking. I’ve seen some incredibly beautiful Japanese women. Perhaps they couldn’t get one of them to compete this year.

[roadcat]

They surely could have found a decent Miss Japan from the office ladies, store clerks, flight attendants and even airport staff that I’ve run across.

Yes. Should also be about culture. Does she have expertise as a black belt in Japanese martial arts, or in traditional Japanese dance, can she play a shamisen instrument, do Japanese ink art or writing, etc.? Plus of course having Japanese blood. Japan is not the USA which is a mix from around the world.

[dfwgator]

She ain't no Miss Sakamoto

[roadcat]

Myself, I think she’s cute!

Cute, but not beautiful. I had a blond girlfriend as a teen who looked just like her, and didn't think she was model material. Really cute, though.

[NWFree]

Because the libtards in the media aren’t throwing it in our face