Ukrainian-born Karolina Shiino breaks racial barriers to win Miss Japan crown, sparking debate on what it means to be Japanese

The crowning of Ukrainian-born model Karolina Shiino as the winner of the Miss Japan contest this week has triggered a social media debate on what it means to be, and look, Japanese.

“I live as a Japanese person, but there have been racial barriers and many instances where I wasn’t accepted,” Shiino said in fluent Japanese during a tearful acceptance on Monday.

“I’m just filled with so much gratitude that I have really been accepted as a Japanese person today,” she said.

Several people took to social media to question whether Shiino is truly the face of Japan. “So, someone who doesn’t have a drop of Japanese blood and has no trace of Japanese-ness is going to represent Japanese women?” said one person on the social media platform X.

Others said she had the right to represent the country she belongs to. “If you have Japanese citizenship then you are a Japanese. Isn’t that all there is to say? What more is there to prove?” another X user said.

But Shiino hopes people will see past her looks. On the beauty competition’s website, Shiino wrote that although she looks foreign, she is Japanese in spirit.