Controversy surrounds the newly crowned Miss Japan 2024, Carolina Shiino, a 26-year-old Japanese model born in Ukraine. Hailing from Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Carolina made history as the first naturalised Japanese citizen to clinch the prestigious title during the contest held in Tokyo on Monday. Despite her fluency in Japanese, the victory has sparked debates on issues ranging from race to identity. Carolina, who faced criticism for appearing "too European" according to social media comments, carried the weight of these challenges even as she tearfully accepted her crown. The win marks a milestone in her journey to be embraced as a true Japanese, sparking conversations about the evolving notions of national identity and beauty standards.
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#MissJapanControversy #CrownDebate #JapanBeautyStandards #IdentityDiscussion #MissJapan2024 #CarolinaShiino #UkrainianModel #NationalIdentity #CulturalDiversity #PageantControversy #BeautyBeyondBorders #JapaneseBeautyDebate #MissJapanDebate #CulturalInclusion #JapanIdentityChallenge #DiversityInBeauty #CulturalReflections #BeautyCriteria #MissJapanUkraineBorn #CulturalAcceptance
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00:00 Controversy surrounds the newly crowned Miss Japan 2024, Carolina Shino, a 26-year-old
00:08 Japanese model born in Ukraine.
00:10 Hailing from Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Carolina made history as the first naturalized Japanese
00:16 citizen to clinch the prestigious title during the contest held in Tokyo on Monday.
00:22 Despite her fluency in Japanese, the victory has sparked debates on issues ranging from
00:27 race to identity.
00:29 Carolina, who faced criticism for appearing too European, according to social media comments,
00:35 carried the weight of these challenges even as she tearfully accepted her crown.
00:40 The win marks a milestone in her journey to be embraced as a true Japanese, sparking conversations
00:45 about the evolving notions of national identity and beauty standards.
00:50 Who is Carolina Shino?
00:52 Carolina, a 26-year-old model hailing from Ukraine, relocated to Japan at the age of
00:57 five and grew up in Nagoya.
01:00 Despite becoming the first naturalized Japanese citizen to secure the pageant victory, her
01:04 win has prompted questions about the criteria for being considered Japanese, given her unconventional
01:10 visual features.
01:11 Miss Shino's journey to Japan began at the age of five, when her mother remarried a Japanese
01:16 man.
01:17 In declaring herself Japanese in speech and mind, she aspires to foster a culture where
01:22 individuals are not evaluated based on their outward appearance.
01:26 Enriching preconceived notions of what it means to be Japanese.
01:30 "I've had to face barriers that often prevent me from being accepted as Japanese, so I'm
01:35 filled with gratitude to be recognized at this competition as a Japanese person," the
01:40 26-year-old said in her speech at the Miss Japan Grand Prix pageant.
01:44 Carolina's victory in the Miss Japan pageant has triggered skepticism and debate on social
01:49 media, with many questioning the appropriateness of awarding the title to someone not of Japanese
01:54 descent.
01:55 This controversy emerged almost a decade after Ariana Miyamoto broke barriers in 2015 as
02:01 the first biracial woman to be crowned Miss Japan.
02:04 Ariana faced challenges due to her mixed race background, with a Japanese mother and an
02:08 African-American father.
02:10 In the case of Carolina Shino in 2023, the scrutiny intensified as she lacks any Japanese
02:15 parentage, prompting a renewed discussion on the evolving criteria for representing
02:20 Japanese beauty and identity.
02:22 Following the announcement of her victory, social media buzzed with comments questioning
02:26 the authenticity of Carolina's Miss Japan title.
02:30 Criticisms such as "Miss Japan should be someone of Japanese mix, not 100% Ukrainian,"
02:35 "She's beautiful, but where is the Japanese-ness?" and "Being 0% ethnically Japanese and not
02:41 even born in Japan" raised concerns were prevalent.
02:45 In response, iWada, the pageant organizer, conveyed a different perspective, stating,
02:50 "Today's result reinforces one conviction for me.
02:53 Japanese beauty is not defined by appearance or bloodline.
02:56 It firmly resides in our hearts."
02:58 iWada's remarks invite reflection on the essence of Japanese beauty and prompt an exploration
03:02 of the broader concept beyond mere physical attributes or ethnic backgrounds.
03:07 Meanwhile, Carolina earlier last year wrote on Instagram that she "may not look Japanese,
03:13 but her mind had become Japanese because she had grown up in Japan."
03:17 On her win, she said that winning the Miss Japan 2024 title was a dream.
03:21 "Being recognized as a Japanese in this competition fills me with gratitude," she added.
03:35 (upbeat music)