Your attention is my motivation, and your support is the direction we are heading. Follow me and you can see my latest articles. Appreciate the changes in the international situation.
The results of this year's 56th Miss Japan pageant were impressive, with Karolena Shiino, who is of Ukrainian descent, beating out many candidates to win the crown. At the award ceremony, she burst into tears of emotion, saying that it felt like a dream to be recognized as a "Japanese" and win the championship. However, the victory was also controversial. Contrary to the image of Japanese women in everyone's mind, Karolina has a typical "white face", her parents are both Ukrainian, and she did not obtain Japanese citizenship until last year. Many people believe that she should not be "Miss Japan" because Caucasian people do not represent the idiosyncrasies and culture of Japan. In addition, the title "Miss Japan" usually refers to women with "Japanese beauty" and "Oriental beauty", but now it is a bit "off-topic" to let a person with a Western face become "Miss Japan"?
In the eyes of the Japanese, the "Miss Japan" election has been the pinnacle beauty pageant for decades, and the winner has always been the person who can embody the style of Japanese women. For example, Fujiko Yamamoto, the champion of the first "Miss Japan", was once known as the "Showa Beauty". There is also Norika Fujiwara, the champion of the 90s, who later became a household name actor. Now that Carolina has become "Miss Japan", the Japanese always feel that the style is a little inconsistent.
However, for Carolina, she herself considers herself pure Japanese. Although her biological parents are Ukrainian, she grew up living with her mother and Japanese stepfather, and was exposed to the Japanese language and culture in Japan. When it comes to identity, she considers herself completely Japanese and is also active in promoting Japanese culture. Although she has the right to Ukrainian citizenship, she chose to get Japanese citizenship because she considers herself Japanese and Ukraine is not her real country. In her acceptance speech, she mentioned that she hopes to break down barriers and prejudices between races and promote diversity.
However, her becoming the champion of "Miss Japan" still caused a lot of controversy. Some people think that her election was due to political considerations, some people think that she does not meet Japanese standards in appearance, and some people think that she is not a typical "Japanese beauty" or "oriental beauty". The pageant has once again sparked a debate about how to define Japanese identity.
In addition, this is not the first time that the "Miss Japan" election has caused controversy. In 2015, when Ariana Miyamoto became the champion of "Miss Japan", it also caused a lot of controversy. As a mixed-race descendant of Japanese and African-Americans, she has been criticized for being far from the image of the Japanese.
The experiences of these two "non-pure-blood" beauty pageant winners have made people rethink the definition and identity of "Japanese". With the deepening of globalization, more and more international marriages and mixed-race children have emerged, and cultural and ethnic exchanges have become more common. This also complicates people's perceptions of "native" and "foreign" identities.
A new issue for Japan is how to balance the protection of indigenous culture with the recognition of international diversity. Beauty pageants are just a small example, but they can generate symbolic controversy that reflects the identity crisis facing the country. Many people think that the "Miss Japan" election should show the unique charm and beauty of Japanese women, but in a pluralistic world, should the beauty pageant criteria be too narrowly defined as one type of beauty?
This question is not easy to answer. Everyone has a different perspective on the definition and identity of beauty. However, whether it is the Miss Japan election or other similar activities, we should respect diversity and give equal opportunities and rights to each individual. Only in this way can we truly achieve inclusion and progress.
Follow me to get the latest and hottest information, so that you can keep up with the pace of the times and understand the latest trends! Every bit of yours, I will remember in my heart; I appreciate your words and deeds.