Ukrainian-born "Miss Japan" backlash

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-68213223

Karolina Shiino, 26, was crowned Miss Japan two weeks ago but her win sparked public debate due to her heritage.

While some welcomed the naturalised citizen's crowning, others said she didn't represent traditional Japanese beauty ideals.

The competition had crowned Ms Shiino on 22 January - the first person of European descent to be given the honour. She was born in Ukraine before moving with her mother to Japan when she was five and taking on her step-father's Japanese last name.

She speaks and writes fluent Japanese and became a naturalised citizen in 2022.

Upon receiving the title, she had said in her speech: "I had not been accepted as Japanese many times, but I am filled with gratitude to have been recognized as Japanese today."

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-68078061

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" to others in the country.
"I think that Japanese people naturally (would) 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.

She had to relinquish her crown due to a scandal with a married man.

Still, the fact that Japan even took the step to a crown a non-Japanese as winner of their national pageant is a big step forward in progress for a very xenophobic culture.

@vivify said
She had to relinquish her crown due to a scandal with a married man.

Still, the fact that Japan even took the step to a crown a non-Japanese as winner of their national pageant is a big step forward in progress for a very xenophobic culture.

@vivify said
She had to relinquish her crown due to a scandal with a married man.

Still, the fact that Japan even took the step to a crown a non-Japanese as winner of their national pageant is a big step forward in progress for a very xenophobic culture.