The Ukrainian became the winner of the Miss Japan competition, which caused a discussion in society due to the rules of the competition.
A scandal broke out in Japan because of a Ukrainian woman and her beauty. The winner of the Miss Japan 2024 competition is a native of Ternopil, Carolina Siino. He became not only the first winner of the competition born outside of Japan, but also the oldest (26 years old). In Japanese society, after Caroline won, a discussion broke out about what Miss Japan should look like.
What does it mean to be Japanese?
Carolina was born in Ternopil in 1998 in an ordinary Ukrainian family. But then her mother married a Japanese man, and they moved to Nagoya when the girl was just five years old. He quickly learned the language of his new country.
Caroline applied for the Miss Japan pageant after becoming a citizen of the country in 2022.
Upon receiving the crown, Caroline, crying with joy, says in perfect Japanese that everything that is happening is like a dream.
But the fact that Caroline is the first non-Japanese to be crowned Miss Japan has added fuel to the debate over what it really means to be Japanese. On the one hand, there is an opinion that Carolina’s win is a sign of the times, on the other hand, there is an opinion that Miss Japan should look different.
When Ariana Mayamoto, whose mother is Japanese and whose father is African-American, represented Japan in the Miss Universe pageant in 2015, it also caused mixed reactions among social media users. 20-year-old Ariana has received thousands of congratulations, but also plenty of criticism from those who believe she is not Japanese enough.
But Caroline Shiino, despite her brilliant knowledge of the language and culture, does not have a single drop of Japanese blood running through her veins. In one of the posts on the social network X, this very fact is blamed on her: “This person who was chosen as Miss Japan has nothing to do with Japan. He is 100% Ukrainian. Don’t get me wrong, she is very beautiful, but the competition is called Miss Japan. Where are the Japanese here?
Discrimination against the Japanese?
Another question: is it correct to call a European looking girl the most beautiful Japanese girl? Another point of view is that the choice of the Ukrainian model is a political decision.
After receiving Japanese citizenship, Caroline herself wrote on Instagram that although she does not look Japanese, her mentality has become Japanese because she grew up in this country.
Shiino is the 56th Miss Japan winner. It is the oldest beauty pageant in the country, held since 1950. It was established by the Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun to select goodwill ambassadors who will travel to the United States to express gratitude for the humanitarian aid the United States has given to children. still malnourished after World War II.
Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.