News On Japan

Beautiful Japanese bikini model is also the descendant of 7th century diplomat

May 04 (soranews24.com) - Miss Magazine contest finalist can thank famous DNA for contributing to her good looks.

In 607, Japan dispatched a diplomatic mission to China’s Sui Dynasty court. Although this preceded the period of official enforced isolation of Japan’s Edo period, Japan’s island nation status meant it still had little contact with other nations, and Japanese diplomat Ono no Imoko was chosen for the important role of head envoy, an honor which was bestowed upon him again when yet another mission was sent to China in 609.

Given the highly stylized nature of Ono no Imoko’s portrait, it’s hard to judge whether he was considered handsome or not. However, apparently his DNA has the makings for an attractive appearance, because one of his descendants is a finalist for one of Japan’s most coveted bikini modeling awards.

For 2018, publisher Kodansha is bringing back its Miss Magazine contest, ending a seven-year hiatus for what was, until 2011, an annual competition. A cross-promotion with the company’s Young Magazine and Weekly Shonen Magazine manga anthologies, Miss Magazine has narrowed its field down to 16 contestants, one of whom is the above-pictured Sarina Enoki.

The 21-year-old Tokyoite lists her hobbies as basketball, badminton, and swimming, but the most surprising part of her profile is the tidbit that Ono no Imoko is one of her ancestors. “I hope I can have good new for him,” Enoki says of her aspirations of winning.

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Kyoto’s world-famous Arashiyama district, a popular destination for both domestic and international tourists, is facing a growing problem of graffiti etched into the bamboo along its iconic “Bamboo Grove Path,” with more than 350 stalks now damaged — a practice that experts warn could eventually cause bamboo to weaken, fall, and even injure visitors.

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