What Does It Mean to be Japanese?
Recently I have been reading in the news about the Miss Japan contest, not because of the contest itself, but because of who won the contest.
Twenty-six year old Ukrainian-born model, Karolina Shiino, was crowned the winner. Her win has started a debate on what it means to be, and look, Japanese. She looks Caucasian and moved to Japan at the age of five, after her mother remarried a Japanese man. She is a naturalized citizen and speaks fluent Japanese.
On social media some are questioning whether Shiino is really the face of Japan. One person said "So, someone who doesn't have a drop of Japanese blood and has no trace of Japanese-ness is going to represent Japanese women?" Others claim she has the right to represent the country she belongs too, saying if a person has Japanese citizenship, that person is Japanese.
Shiino hopes people will see beyond her looks. She states that even though she looks foreign, she is Japanese in spirit. I agree with her. What do you think?
6 comments:
Hello Pamela: I am in turmoil about this, she is lovely, I am not sure why so many are ready to take traditions away from hundreds of years of traditions.
I feel in my heart that it should have been a Japanese woman one with the blood that has been is her family and country for many years.
I hope this does not divide anyone and turn into a mess of any kind.
Catherine
Compared to many other countries, there are few 'mixed' children and few foreign adults with Japanese citizenship, so most people would think Japanese = Japanese looks and genes.
One group of foreign origin who have been accepted as Japanese are the sumo wrestlers from abroad. Maybe because the sport and its traditions are so extremely Japanese. What do you think?
She looks lovely but I can also see some of the controversy. I'm torn, too.
She is Miss Japan because she was chosen from among many candidates, regardless of her country of origin or upbringing.
I would assume Miss Japan was Japanese, but then when I see women representing other countries in Miss World for example I often can not pick which country they are from.
I don't know exactly who Miss country elections work, but clearly, people voted for her over the other, probably 'proper' Japanese women who were in the competition - I say she rightfully won!
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