TOKYO - The final judging of the "56th Miss Japan Contest 2024" was held on January 22nd in Tokyo, where Karolina Shiino, a 26-year-old model from Aichi Prefecture, emerged victorious as the Grand Prix winner.
When asked in a post-judging interview about the first person she wanted to share her joy with, she responded, “My family, especially my mother. I want to tell her first, ‘Mom, I won the Grand Prix,’” she said with a smile, acknowledging her mother as the person who brought her to Japan and made her Japanese.
Shiino, standing tall at 172 cm, was born in Ukraine and came to Japan at the age of five. Last year, she reported her naturalization on social media. Her hobbies include walking, yoga, and mountain climbing, with model walking and posing as her special skills. Her motto is "A high mountain is not noble because of its height." Her aspiration is to become a refined woman who cherishes the Japanese spirit.
Regarding her motivation to enter the contest, Shiino mentioned, "I have lived in Japan since I was five and realized I was speaking Japanese and living as a Japanese. But it was the first time I noticed my appearance was different due to comments from those around me." She grew up with these concerns and initially wanted to be recognized as Japanese. "Through study meetings, I started thinking about what I could do, and eventually, my goal became to create a society where people are not judged by their appearance, leading me to enter the contest."
In her speech after winning the Grand Prix, Shiino tearfully expressed her joy: "It's like a dream. Tears wouldn't stop when my name was called. Although I live as a Japanese, I've faced many challenges due to racial barriers. I'm filled with gratitude for being recognized as Japanese in this contest."
Source: Kyodo
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