The 2024 edition of Miss Japan Grand Prix saw history being created with Ukrainian model Carolina Shiino being crowned as the first ever naturalized Japanese citizen to be crowned Miss Japan. The finale of the national pageant will be held on 22nd January 2024 at the Keio Plaza Hotel in Shinjuku, Tokyo.

The crowning, while being historic, has also sparked identity debate in country. Carolina moved to Japan at the age of five and was raised in Nagoya. The 26-year-old stunning beauty also got emotional in her speech as she also addressed the racial barriers as faced coming into this competition.

“I’ve had to face barriers that often prevent me from being accepted as Japanese, so I am filled with gratitude to be recognised at this competition as a Japanese person”, as she won the Miss Japan crown.

While some people acknowledged her win as a ‘sign of the times’, it didn’t stop many people from raising questions on social media over her victory. They expressed discontent questioning whether she really embodied the essence of being ‘Miss Japan’. They argued that Carolina has no Japanese parentage being born in Ukraine and did not fit the traditional image of a Miss Japan.

Carolina stands 5 feet 7 inches tall and had been pursuing a modeling career before she joined Miss Japan. Living in Japan since she was 5, Carolina is a fluent speaker of Japanese language. Carolina’s historic win comes after a decade when history was created with first bi-racial Miss Japan being crowned.

Congratulations!