The organization of Miss Universe Japan is all set to host the coronation for the 2021 ceremony on 22nd September in Tokyo. They have recently introduced their stunning 33 semi-finalists from all over the country who will vie for the crown and an opportunity to represent Japan at the upcoming Miss Universe 2021. The winner will succeed Miss Universe Japan 2020 Aisha Harumi Tochigi, who represented Japan at Miss Universe 2020 in USA.

While this year’s batch consists of stunning divas who are experienced and skilled as they will be competing against each other for the national title, some delegates have stood out from the others as strong contenders for the title. So, without any further ado, here are our Top 5 hot picks for the Miss Universe Japan title –

Ayano Dulmi Obata

Ayona Obata has emerged as one of the strongest contenders for the national title this year. Growing up in Japan, when she was yiung, she challenged herself with various new things such as dancing, swimming, tennis, piano, and drums to enhance her strengths. She also shared that as she grew up, she began to care and get complex, having lack of self- confidence. Through the platform she wants to share that everyone has a chance and right to be recognized and that she will continue to believe in this no matter what circumstances.

Aya Nakamura

Aya Nakamura has been learning Ikebana, the art of flower arrangement since a young age. She is very proud of the Japanese traditions and cultures. Aya belives that everything has a beautiful color called personality. She wants to increase the number of people who express themselves. She aims on creating a new culture and to add colour to people’s lives.

Hikaru Watanabe

Hikaru Watanabe is a trained pianist and a classical ballet dancer for 15 years now. She believes that the Miss Universe platform provides a way to express the unique beauty in a difficult situation in the world. It also enables the world with the power to get over it with a dream, the power to overcome consciously.

Juri Watanabe

A proud half-Japanese and half-Korean beauty, Juri has grown up in Japan, China and the United States. She has always been treated as an outsider. Throughout her experiences she has realized the identity is not something we are born with but it is something that is fluid and changes over time. Through the Miss Universe platform, she hopes to bring awareness to the idea that we can come from different backgrounds but still share a common experience and to help others out there who face similar struggles. Juri speaks fluent English making her stronger than the other delegates for the title.

Izumi Nishida

Born in a multicultural family to an Ethiopian mother and Japanese father, Izumi has a very open and multi-faceted perspective on life. Growing up she has been involved with various organizations that helped impoverished children and orphans by helping them improve their quality of life. She has also worked with empowering small-scale female farmers and educating them about mental health. Her goal in life is to eradicate the stigma behind mental illness and bring more awareness to help those in need.

Aisha Tochigi Miss Universe Japan 2020 was one of the strongest contenders at Miss Universe 2020. She also promoted the debut of Karate at the 2020 Summer Olympics, which are being hosted by her country, as her national costume at the international platform. Her performance was highly appreciated but unfortunately she remained unplaced.

Japan has been under a dry spell for more than a decade now since Riyo Mori last won the Miss Universe crown in 2007. One out of these semi-finalists will compete for the title and aim to bring home the crown to end the long-standing absence for the Miss Universe crown.