The choice of a Ukrainian as Miss Japan that sparked debate about national identity

“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, shortly after being crowned Miss Japan 2024 on Monday (22).

The 26-year-old model was born in Ukraine but moved to Japan at the age of five and grew up in Nagoya.

She became the first naturalized Japanese citizen to win the contest, but her victory reignited a debate about what it means to be Japanese.

While some considered her victory a “sign of the times”, others said she does not look like what a “Miss Japan” should be.

Carolina’s achievement comes almost 10 years after Ariana Miyamoto became the first biracial woman to be crowned Miss Japan in 2015.

At the time, the coronation of Miyamoto, the daughter of a Japanese mother and an African-American father, sparked a debate about whether a mixed-race person should be eligible.

This time, it was the fact that Carolina is not related to Japan that sparked comments from some on social media.

“This person who was chosen as Miss Japan is not even mixed with Japanese, she is 100% pure Ukrainian. I understand that she is beautiful, but this is ‘Miss Japan'”, says a post on the X network (formerly Twitter).

“If she were half [japonesa], it certainly wouldn’t be a problem. But she is ethnically 0% Japanese and was not even born in Japan”, reads another post.

Others said his victory sent the “wrong message” to the country.

“I think Japanese people naturally get the wrong message when a person of European appearance is considered the most beautiful Japanese woman.”

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

“If she was Russian, she wouldn’t have won. No chance. Obviously the criteria now is a political decision. What a sad day for Japan,” another person said.

Ai Wada, organizer of the Miss Japan Grand Prix beauty pageant, told the BBC that the judges’ choice of Carolina was made with “complete confidence”.

“She speaks and writes beautiful, polite Japanese,” Wada said. “She’s more Japanese than us.”

At the beginning of last year, when Carolina gained Japanese nationality, she posted the news on Instagram and said that she “may not look Japanese”, but her mind “became Japanese” because she grew up in Japan.

Upon receiving the Miss Japan 2024 trophy, she said that winning the title was “a dream.” “Being recognized as a Japanese in this competition fills me with gratitude.”

In collaboration with Chie Kobayashi

This text was originally published here.