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The Importance of the New Miss Japan

In a country that doesn’t hide its Xenophobia, the fact that a biracial woman won Miss Japan is no small feat. 

Ariana Miyamoto represented as Miss Nagasaki in the 2015 Miss Universe Japan competition. Ariana won the title of Miss Japan and will compete in the next Miss Universe pageant. 

The 20-year-old Nagasaki native was born to a Japanese mother and an African-American father. After winning the Japanese leg of the competition, Miss Miyamoto faced scrutiny from many reporters claiming that she did not look Japanese enough. ( RocketNews24 )

However, the young Miss Japan is as Japanese as anyone else in the country. She has a 5th degree mastery of Japanese calligraphy and she speaks the language fluently, of course. While she has critics, she also has a large fan base who encourage her to stay strong.

While Ariana faces a long road ahead of her, she is confident and excited about the journey. In the eyes of many this is a huge step forward for Japan and it could be a new chapter for the Miss Universe pageant.