Ukrainian-born Model Wins Miss Japan Amid Cultural Identity Debate
In the latest Miss Japan pageant, 26-year-old Carolina Shiino, a Ukrainian-born model, was crowned the winner. However, her victory has sparked controversy and debate on her cultural identity and Japanese authenticity.
Shiino was born to Ukrainian parents in her home country and moved to Japan at the age of five when her mother remarried. She obtained Japanese citizenship a year ago. However, critics question her eligibility, arguing that her European background makes her less Japanese.
“How can a white European represent Japan as Miss Japan?” one critic wrote on X, while another accused the judges of making a political decision by choosing her due to her war-torn country of origin.
In the face of the criticism, Shiino remains positive, calling her win a “dream” and expressing gratitude for being recognized as Japanese. She claims to feel Japanese in both “speech and mind.”
Shiino’s experience with questions about her Asian heritage is not new to her. Her mother, Lana, also a model, won the Miss Best Body at a Japanese competition. The judges defended their decision, stating that Shiino was “more Japanese than we are.”
Organizers of the pageant praised Shiino’s “confidence” throughout the competition and said they were attracted to her positive attitude. Shiino is not the only winner of Miss Japan who does not appear to be fully Japanese. In 2015, Ariana Miyamoto, who was born to a Japanese mother and an African American father, won the pageant and placed in the top 10 at the Miss Universe pageant.
