Miss Universe Japan
| Formation | 1952 |
|---|---|
| Type | Beauty Pageant |
| Headquarters | Tokyo |
| Location | |
Membership | Miss Universe |
Official language | Japanese |
Team | MUJ |
| Website | Official website |
Miss Universe Japan (Japanese: ミス・ユニバース・ジャパン) was created in 1998 in response to Japan's then-recent lack of finalists at the Miss Universe pageant. It is a branch from the former Miss Japan pageant.
History
When the Miss Universe Japan pageant was founded in 1998, it was run by French national director Ines Ligron. Until 2007, the organisation managed to produce one winner, two top 5 runners-up and one top 15 semifinalist at the Miss Universe pageant. Ligron was catapulted to the international spotlight when Riyo Mori won the second Miss Universe crown for Japan in 2007. In 2009, Ligron left the organisation which resulted in a different team now leading the organisation.
Titleholders
- Color key
- Declared as Winner
- Ended as runner-up
- Ended as one of the finalists or semifinalists
In 1998 the pageant was renamed Miss Universe Japan. The winner of Miss Universe Japan (MUJ) represents her country at Miss Universe. On occasion, when the winner does not qualify (due to age) for either contest, a runner-up is sent.
| Year | Miss Japan | Japanese | Represented | Placement | Special Awards |
| 2016 | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | |
| 2015 | Ariana Miyamoto[1] | 宮本 エリアナ | Nagasaki | Top 10 | |
| 2014 | Keiko Tsuji | 辻 恵子 | Nagasaki | Unplaced | |
| 2013 | Yukimi Matsuo | 松尾 幸実 | Mie | Unplaced | Best National Costume (4th Runner-up) |
| 2012 | Ayako Hara | 原綾子 | Miyagi | Unplaced | |
| 2011 | Maria Kamiyama | 神山 まりあ | Tokyo | Unplaced | Best National Costume (5th Runner-up) |
| 2010 | Maiko Itai | 板井 麻衣子 | Ōita | Unplaced | |
| 2009 | Emiri Miyasaka | 宮坂 絵美里 | Tokyo | Unplaced | |
| 2008 | Hiroko Mima | 美馬 寛子 | Tokushima | Top 15 | |
| 2007 | Akiko Chubachi[2] | 中鉢 明子 | Tokyo | Did not compete | |
| Riyo Mori | 森 理世 | Shizuoka | Miss Universe 2007 | ||
| 2006 | Kurara Chibana | 知花 くらら | Okinawa | 1st Runner-up | Best National Costume |
| 2005 | Yukari Kuzuya | 葛谷 由香里 | Aichi | Unplaced | |
| 2004 | Eri Machimoto | 町本 絵里 | Hiroshima | Unplaced | |
| 2003 | Miyako Miyazaki | 宮崎 京 | Kumamoto | 4th Runner-up | |
| 2002 | Mina Chiba | ミナ千葉 | Tokyo | Unplaced | |
| 2001 | Misao Arauchi | 荒内美沙緒 | Tokyo | Unplaced | |
| 2000 | Mayu Endo | まゆ遠藤 | Tokyo | Unplaced | |
| 1999 | Satomi Ogawa | さとみ小川 | Saitama | Unplaced | |
| 1998 | Nana Okumura | ナナ奥村 | Tokyo | Unplaced | |
Miss Japan 1952-1995
The Miss Japan pageant existed from 1952 to 1997. During that period, the pageant managed to produce a winner and three top 5 finalists at the Miss Universe pageant. In 1959, Akiko Kojima claimed the first crown for Japan.[3] After a top 12 semifinalist placement in 1975, Japan managed to place only one more time prior to 1997, when Mizuho Sakaguchi took fourth place in 1988.
| Year | Miss Japan | Placement | Special Awards |
| 1952 | Himeko Kojima |  1952 - Unplaced |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | Kinuko Ito | 1953 - 2nd Runner-up |
|
| 1954 | Mieko Kondo | 1954 - Unplaced |
|
| 1955 | Keiko Takahashi | 1955 - 4th Runner-up |
|
| 1956 | Yoshie Baba | 1956 - Unplaced |
|
| 1957 | Kyoko Otani | 1957 - Top 16 |
|
| 1958 | Tomoko Moritake | 1958 - Top 16 |
Miss Congeniality |
| 1959 | Akiko Kojima | Miss Universe 1959 |
|
| 1960 | Yayoi Furuno | 1960 - Top 16 |
|
| 1961 | Akemi Toyama | 1961 - Unplaced |
|
| 1962 | Kasuko Hirano | 1962 - Unplaced |
|
| 1963 | Noriko Ando | 1963 - Top 16 |
|
| 1964 | Shizuko Matsumoto | 1964 - Unplaced |
|
| 1965 | Mari Katayama | 1965 - Unplaced |
|
| 1966 | Atsumi Ikeno | 1966 - Unplaced |
|
| 1967 | Kayoko Fujikawa | 1967 - Unplaced |
|
| 1968 | Yasuyo Iino | 1968 - Unplaced |
Miss Congeniality |
| 1969 | Kikuyo Osuka | 1969 - 4th Runner-up |
|
| 1970 | Jun Shimada | 1970 - 3rd Runner-up |
|
| 1971 | Shigeko Taketomi | 1971 - Top 12 |
|
| 1972 | Harumi Maeda |  1972 - Top 12 |
|
| 1973 | Miyoko Sometani |  1973 - Top 12 |
|
| 1974 | Eriko Tsuboi |  1974 - Unplaced |
|
| 1975 | Sachiko Nakayama |  1975 - Top 10 |
|
| 1976 | Miyako Iwakuni |  1976 - Unplaced |
|
| 1977 | Kyoko Satoh |  1977 - Unplaced |
|
| 1978 | Hisako Manda |  1978 - Unplaced |
|
| 1979 | Yurika Kuroda |  1979 - Unplaced |
Miss Congeniality |
| 1980 | Hisae Hiyama |  1980 - Unplaced |
|
| 1981 | Mineko Orisaku | 1981 - Unplaced |
|
| 1982 | Eri Okuwaki |  1982 - Unplaced |
|
| 1983 | Yuko Yamaguchi | 1983 - Unplaced |
|
| 1984 | Mayumi Niiyama | 1984 - Unplaced |
|
| 1985 | Hatsumi Furusawa | 1985 - Unplaced |
|
| 1986 | Hiroko Esaki |  1986 - Unplaced |
|
| 1987 | Hiroe Namba |  1987 - Unplaced |
|
| 1988 | Mizuho Sakaguchi |  1988 - 3rd Runner-up |
|
| 1989 | Eri Tshiro | 1989 - Unplaced |
|
| 1990 | Hiroko Miyoshi | 1990 - Unplaced |
|
| 1991 | Atsuko Yamamoto | 1991 - Unplaced |
|
| 1992 | Akiko Ando |  1992 - Unplaced |
|
| 1993 | Yukiko Shiki | 1993 - Unplaced |
|
| 1994 | Chiaki Kawahito | 1994 - Unplaced |
|
| 1995 | Narumi Saeki |  1995 - Unplaced |
|
By number of wins (prefecture)
Below are the number of winners as Miss Japan (1998–present) according to the year in which they crowned.
| Prefecture | Titles | Years |
| Tokyo | 7 | 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2007 (Successor), 2009 |
| Nagasaki | 2 | 2014, 2015 |
| Mie | 1 | 2013 |
| Miyagi | 2012 | |
| Ōita | 2010 | |
| Tokushima | 2008 | |
| Shizuoka | 2007 | |
| Okinawa | 2006 | |
| Aichi | 2005 | |
| Hiroshima | 2004 | |
| Kumamoto | 2003 | |
| Saitama | 1999 | |
References
- ↑ "The First Multiracial Miss Universe Japan Has Been Crowned". NBC News. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
- ↑ "New Miss Universe Riyo Mori's Disciplined Life". AsianOffbeat. 16 June 2007. Retrieved 5 December 2010.
- ↑ "Japanese Girl Beauty Queen". The Sydney Morning Herald. July 26, 1959. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
External links
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