Naturalized Ukrainian Woman Becoming 'Miss Japan' Sparks Controversy in Japan: "I've Lived Here Since I Was 5"

Related or Not? 'Heated Debate'
Ukrainian Woman Obtained Japanese Citizenship 2 Years Ago
"Struggled with Identity... Grateful to Be Recognized as Japanese"

A naturalized woman from Ukraine has sparked debate in Japan after winning the grand prize at a Japanese beauty pageant. On the 22nd, Kyodo News reported that Karolina Shino (26), originally from Ukraine and who acquired Japanese nationality in 2022, won the grand prize at the 56th Miss Japan Contest held in Tokyo. She expressed her feelings, saying, "There were many times when I was not easily accepted as Japanese, so I am grateful to be recognized as Japanese this time."

[Image source=Shino Karolina Instagram capture]

Karolina, whose parents are both Ukrainian, grew up in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, from a young age after her mother remarried a Japanese man following a divorce. Karolina said, "Although I look like a foreigner on the outside, I have been raised in Japan since I was about five years old. My core is Japanese itself."

She added, "I have struggled with my identity, but after becoming a model, I was able to accept my individuality. I am volunteering to support people who face various disparities and challenges in modern society. As Miss Japan, I want to be active and deliver my voice to more people in the future," she emphasized.

"It doesn't matter since I have Japanese nationality" vs. "'Miss Japan' feels a bit..."

[Image source=Miss Japan official website capture]

However, local netizens expressed mixed reactions. On that day, Yahoo News featured comments such as, "Since she has Japanese nationality, race doesn't matter," "Congratulations. Looking forward to her future activities," and "If athletes can accept foreigners, there is no reason why a beauty pageant should be different."

On the other hand, negative opinions also appeared, including, "It feels like the contest selected her for political reasons to gain attention," "If it were a competition of talent, it wouldn't matter, but 'Miss Japan' feels a bit off," and "If she represents Japan, I hope she shows the advantages typical of East Asians."