The beauty queen criticized for not being Japanese enough

**Loki** · 03-25-2015, 10:34 PM

The beauty queen criticized for not being Japanese enough

Tokyo (CNN) A biracial beauty queen in Japan is facing criticism for not being Japanese enough.

Half-Japanese and half African-American, Miss Nagasaki Ariana Miyamoto is the first-ever mixed-race Miss Universe Japan.

Some say she doesn't represent Japan's demographic, while others champion the model, proud that she is overcoming racial hurdles and helping to expand the definition of what it means to be Japanese.

But changing perceptions here can be an uphill struggle. In a culture that typically prefers pale -- where "pure Japanese" white skin is considered a symbol of beauty -- the darker skinned Miyamoto's crowning last week was a revolution on the runway.

On a walk through Tokyo's Harajuku fashion district on Tuesday -- the statuesque 20-year-old attracted stares, photo takers, and curious crowds.

With a Japanese mother and African-American father from Arkansas, Miyamoto is "haafu" -- meaning half-Japanese.

Bullied for being different

In a country where around 98% of the population is considered to be the same race, this beauty queen says she was bullied for being different.

"In school, people used to throw garbage at me," Miyamoto says -- adding they also used racial slurs.

"People encounter discrimination and prejudice (in Japan)," says Jeff Kingston, a professor of Asian Studies at Tokyo's Temple University.

He says that Japan has embraced mixed race entertainers and even athletes in recent years, but Miyamoto is the first to break the "beauty barrier."

For a country that is often considered conservative and resistant to change, her crowning presents a different side of Japan internationally, he says.

"It sends a very positive message about the changing Japan to the rest of the world."

Homogenous homeland

At home, though, many feel Miyamoto, who was born in Nagasaki, shouldn't represent her homogenous homeland.

"No, she doesn't even look Japanese," says middle-aged shopper Ishiko Komagawa.

"Half is not 100% Japanese. If someone is chosen as Miss Japan, both her parents should be Japanese," says high school student Tomoki Nogami.

Miyamoto says the criticism of her crown at home only makes her train harder for the global Miss Universe pageant in January.

"I want to tell the world, even a half-Japanese can represent Japan," Miyamoto says.

**Also** · 03-25-2015, 10:36 PM

Japan is very ethnocentric, so quite expected.

**Dandelion** · 03-25-2015, 10:37 PM

Bad publicity remains publicity. If she knows how to deal with it she'll come out of it stronger and more successful than before.

**randomguy1235** · 03-25-2015, 10:51 PM

I agree with the general Japanese consensus. Beauty contestants in the Old World should be representative of the majority population in the country. In the New World, it shoudln't matter.

**Rædwald** · 03-25-2015, 10:58 PM

I don't think it wrong that 'Miss X Ethnicity' should be 'X Ethnicity'

**Dandelion** · 03-25-2015, 10:59 PM

It's Miss Japan as the country of Japan, not 'Miss Yamato ethnicity' so I don't see why she shouldn't be able to win if she was indeed the strongest candidate this year.

I do think the media are slightly exaggerating though. Plenty of Japanese are fine with her, otherwise she wouldn't have won wouldn't she?
When Tatiana Silva won Miss Belgium with her Cape Verdean roots, people called her condescendingly 'Miss Multiculti' on Flemish forums. She was the first mixed-race winner of the contest ever.
But in hindsight she was the strongest candidate and proved to be the perfect person to represent Belgium now more or less being famous both in Dutch- and French-speaking communities (she is French-speaking, but speaks four languages fluently including ours).