The face of Japanese beauty is now a Ukrainian-born model — at least according to pageant judges who sparked a debate on cultural identity by naming 26-year-old Karolina Shiino as Miss Japan on Monday. Shiino said she has faced difficulties being accepted as a local because of her appearance, and hoped her win would change minds about who can be considered Japanese. “After all, we live in an era of diversity — where diversity is needed,” she said. “There are many people like me who are worried about the gap between their appearance and (who they are).” She added: “I kept being told that I’m not Japanese, but I am absolutely Japanese, so I entered Miss Japan genuinely believing in myself. I was really happy to be recognized like this.” https://edition.cnn.com/2024/01/26/style/miss-japan-karolina-shiino-ukraine/index.html I guess she's Japanese enough after living in the country for two decades, speaking the language perfectly and gaining Japanese citizenship. "As I live as a Japanese, there were many times when it was difficult for me to be accepted. However, I feel that I have been truly recognized as a Japanese, and I am filled with gratitude," Shiino said in perfect Japanese. Most Ukrainian refugees cannot speak the language yet. Shiino's ancestry is likely be partially Turkic as well. There were more than 200,000 Crimean Tatars, who once lived in Ukraine.
She probably got sympathy for being a Ukrainian refugee. Plus Japanese society holds up European white people on a pedestal as an exotic standard of beauty. She's pretty, of course, but doesn't seem amazingly beautiful. But I'm sure having such a long neck and being anorexic thin helps. And white or lighter skin is considered a mark of attractiveness in Northeast Asian cultures.
Karolina Shiino turned out to be a Jewish-Ukrainian, which explains her exotic features. Unfortunately, she got bashed in Japan and has been stripped of her title, following a tabloid magazine report that she was having an affair with a married doctor. https://twitter.com/japantimes/status/1754489442033717599
