Society

Naomi Watanabe on Time list of influential figures

Jul 01 (NHK) - Japanese comedian and fashion designer Naomi Watanabe has been chosen by US weekly Time magazine as one of its 25 most influential people on the internet in 2018.

The annual list released Thursday has been compiled since 2015. It rates people by their impact on social media and their ability to drive news.

Watanabe has 8 million Instagram followers. Her bold humor encourages fans to be themselves. She has endorsement deals with major fashion labels and runs her own clothing line, catering to plus-size women.

Time says she is Japan's most popular social media star, and is using her platform to challenge long-held stereotypes about Japanese women.

Watanabe says she wants people to treasure what they have. She says that's how she gained confidence.

Others on Time's list are US President Donald Trump, South Korean pop boy band BTS, and Logan Paul, a YouTuber who upset fans by posting a video of himself discovering an alleged dead body in a forest in Japan.

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