Miss Universe Japan

National beauty pageant competition in Japan

Not to be confused with Miss Japan.

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Miss Universe Japan Organization
ミス・ユニバース・ジャパンFormation| 1998; 26 years ago (1998)

|

Type| Beauty pageant
Headquarters| Tokyo
Location|

* Japan

Membership

| Miss Universe

Official language

| Japanese

President

| Hiroko Mima
Website| Official website

The Miss Universe Japan (Japanese: ミス・ユニバース・ジャパン) is a national Beauty pageant in Japan to select an official candidate for the Miss Universe pageant.

Since 2018, the national director of Miss Universe Japan is Hiroko Mima.

## History[edit]

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.

## National directors[edit]

* 1952 Miss Japan - Yoshinaga (Japanese-American Press)
* 1998 Miss Universe Japan - Inès Ligron (WCBA)
* 2010 Miss Universe Japan - Izumi Toda and Akihiro Yoshida (HDR Corporation)
* 2018 Miss Universe Japan - Hiroko Mima

## International crowns[edit]

* Two – Miss Universe winners:
* Riyo Mori (2007)
* Akiko Kojima (1959)

## Gallery of winners[edit]

* Akiko Kojima, Miss Universe 1959

* Riyo Mori, Miss Universe 2007

## Titleholders[edit]

* : Declared as Winner
* : Ended as runner-up or top 5/6 qualification
* : Ended as one of the finalists or semifinalists
* : Ended as special awards winner

The Miss Japan pageant existed from 1952 to 1995. 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.[1] After a top 12 semifinalist placement in 1975, Japan managed to place only one more time prior to 1995, when Mizuho Sakaguchi took fourth place in 1988. In 1998, the Miss Universe Japan pageant acquired the Miss Universe license. 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  | Prefecture  | Miss Universe Japan  | Japanese Name  | Placement at Miss Universe  | Special Awards

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|
|
|
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2024 | TBA
2023 | Shizuoka | Rio Miyazaki[2] | リオ 宮崎  | Unplaced  |
2022 | Chiba | Marybelén Sakamoto[3] | マリベレン坂本  | Unplaced  |
2021 | Tokyo | Juri Watanabe[4] | 渡邉珠理  | Top 16 |
2020 | Chiba | Aisha Harumi Tochigi  | 杤木愛シャ暖望 | Unplaced  |
2019 | Hyōgo | Ako Kamo  | 加茂 あこ | Unplaced  |
2018 | Mie | Yuumi Kato | 加藤 遊海 | Unplaced  |
2017 | Chiba | Momoko Abe | 阿部 桃子 | Unplaced  |

* Best National Costume

2016 | Shiga | Sari Nakazawa | 中沢 沙理 | Unplaced  |
2015 | Nagasaki | Ariana Miyamoto | 宮本 エリアナ | Top 10 |
2014 | Nagasaki | Keiko Tsuji | 辻 恵子 | Unplaced  |
2013 | Mie | Yukimi Matsuo | 松尾 幸実 | Unplaced  |

* Best National Costume (4th Runner-up)

2012 | Miyagi | Ayako Hara | 原 綾子 | Unplaced  |
2011 | Tokyo | Maria Kamiyama | 神山 まりあ | Unplaced  |

* Best National Costume (9th Runner-up)

2010 | Ōita | Maiko Itai | 板井 麻衣子 | Unplaced  |
2009 | Tokyo | Emiri Miyasaka | 宮坂 絵美里 | Unplaced  |
2008 | Tokushima | Hiroko Mima | 美馬 寛子 | Top 15 |
2007 | Shizuoka | Riyo Mori | 森 理世 | Miss Universe 2007 |
2006 | Okinawa | Kurara Chibana | 知花 くらら | 1st Runner-up |

* Best National Costume

2005 | Aichi | Yukari Kuzuya  | 葛谷 由香里 | Unplaced  |
2004 | Hiroshima | Eri Machimoto  | 町本 絵里 | Unplaced  |
2003 | Kumamoto | Miyako Miyazaki | 宮崎 京 | 4th Runner-up |
2002 | Tokyo | Mina Chiba  | 千葉 美苗 | Unplaced  |
2001 | Aomori | Misao Arauchi  | 荒内 美沙緒 | Unplaced  |
2000 | Tokyo | Mayu Endo  | 遠藤 真由 | Unplaced  |
1999 | Saitama | Satomi Ogawa  | 小川 里美 | Unplaced  |
1998 | Tokyo | Nana Okumura  | 奥村 ナナ | Unplaced  |
Representatives from Miss Japan · ミスジャパン
Did not compete between 1996—1997
1995 | Saitama | Narumi Saeki  | 佐伯 成美 | Unplaced  |
1994 | Kagawa | Chiaki Kawahito  | 川人 千明 | Unplaced  |
1993 | Hyōgo | Yukiko Shiki  | 志岐 幸子 | Unplaced  |
1992 | Aichi | Akiko Ando  | 安藤 晃子 | Unplaced  |
1991 | Osaka | Atsuko Yamamoto  | 山本 亜津子 | Unplaced  |
1990 | Ehime | Hiroko Miyoshi  | 三好 浩子 | Unplaced  |
1989 | Hokkaido | Eri Tashiro  | 田代 絵里 | Unplaced  |
1988 | Hyōgo | Mizuho Sakaguchi  | 坂口 美津穂 | 3rd Runner-up |
1987 | Okayama | Hiroe Namba  | 難波 央江 | Unplaced  |
1986 | Gifu | Hiroko Esaki  | 江崎 普子 | Unplaced  |
1985 | Osaka | Hatsumi Furusawa  | 古沢 初美 | Unplaced  |
1984 | Tokyo | Megumi Niiyama  | 新山 恵 | Unplaced  |
1983 | Osaka | Yuko Yamaguchi  | 山口 遊子 | Unplaced  |
1982 | Tokyo | Eri Okuwaki  | 奥脇 絵里 | Unplaced  |
1981 | Kyoto | Mineko Orisaku  | 織作 峰子 | Unplaced  |
1980 | Tokyo | Hisae Hiyama  | 檜山 久恵 | Unplaced  |
1979 | Tokyo | Yurika Kuroda  | 黒田 百合香 | Unplaced  |

* Miss Congeniality

1978 | Osaka | Hisako Manda  | 萬田 久子 | Unplaced  |
1977 | Tokyo | Kyoko Sato  | 佐藤 恭子 | Unplaced  |
1976 | Osaka | Miyako Iwakuni  | 岩国 美弥子 | Unplaced  |
1975 | Hokkaido | Sachiko Nakayama  | 中山 幸子 | Top 12 |
1974 | Tokyo | Eriko Tsuboi  | 坪井 江里子 | Unplaced  |
1973 | Ibaraki | Miyoko Sometani  | 染谷 美代子 | Top 12 |
1972 | Tokyo | Harumi Maeda  | 前田 晴美 | Top 12 |
1971 | Tokyo | Shigeko Taketomi  | 武富 茂子 | Top 12 |

* Best Swimsuit

1970 | Tokyo | Jun Shimada  | 島田 純 | 3rd Runner-up |

* Best Swimsuit

1969 | Aichi | Kikuyo Osuka  | 大須賀 喜久代 | 4th Runner-up |
1968 | Tokyo | Yasuyo Iino  | 飯野 矢住代 | Unplaced  |

* Miss Congeniality

1967 | Osaka | Kayoko Fujikawa  | 藤川 香代子 | Unplaced  |
1966 | Osaka | Atsumi Ikeno  | 池野 温美 | Unplaced  |
1965 | Tokyo | Mari Katayama  | 片山 まり | Unplaced  |
1964 | Hyōgo | Chizuko Matsumoto  | 松本 千都子 | Unplaced  |
1963 | Miyagi | Noriko Ando  | 安藤 矩子 | Top 15 |
1962 | Kyoto | Kazuko Hirano  | 平野 和子 | Unplaced  |
1961 | Tokyo | Akemi Toyama  | 遠山 明美 | Unplaced  |
1960 | Fukuoka | Yayoi Furuno  | 古野 弥生 | Top 15 |
1959 | Tokyo | Akiko Kojima | 児島 明子 | Miss Universe 1959 |
1958 | Fukuoka | Tomoko Moritake  | 森武 知子 | Top 15 |

* Miss Congeniality

1957 | Tokyo | Kyoko Otani  | 大谷 享子 | Top 15 |
1956 | Fukushima | Yoshie Baba  | 馬場 祥江 | Unplaced  |
1955 | Tokyo | Keiko Takahashi  | 高橋 敬緯子 | 4th Runner-up |
1954 | Aichi | Mieko Kondo  | 近藤 美恵子 | Unplaced  |
1953 | Tokyo | Kinuko Ito  | 伊東 絹子 | 2nd Runner-up |
1952 | Osaka | Himeko Kojima  | 小島 日女子 | Unplaced  |

## See also[edit]

* Miss World Japan
* Miss International Japan
* Miss Earth Japan
* Miss Grand Japan
* Miss Japan
* Miss Nippon

## References[edit]

1. ^ "Japanese Girl Beauty Queen". The Sydney Morning Herald. July 26, 1959. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
2. ^ "20歳大学生、宮崎莉緒さんミスユニバース日本代表「私から出るエネルギーは誰にも負けない」". Yahoo! Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 1 September 2023.
3. ^ "グランプリに坂本さん輝く「2022 ミス・ユニバース ジャパン ファイナル」". Sports Nippon (in Japanese). Retrieved 26 August 2022.
4. ^ Nguyễn, Ly (2021-09-22). "Người đẹp 25 tuổi đăng quang Hoa hậu Hoàn vũ Nhật Bản 2021". Zing News (in Vietnamese). Retrieved 2021-09-22.

## External links[edit]

* Official website

* v
* t
* e

Beauty pageants in Japan

* Miss Earth Japan
* Miss International Japan
* Miss Japan
* Miss Nippon
* Miss Universe Japan
* Miss World Japan

* v
* t
* e

Miss Universe Japan

* 1952
* 1953
* 1954
* 1955
* 1956
* 1957
* 1958
* 1959
* 1960
* 1961
* 1962
* 1963
* 1964
* 1965
* 1966
* 1967
* 1968
* 1969
* 1970
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979
* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989
* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1993
* 1994
* 1995
* ~~1996~~
* ~~1997~~
* 1998
* 1999
* 2000
* 2001
* 2002
* 2003
* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* 2020
* 2021
* 2022

* v
* t
* e

Miss Universe participant countries and territories

Active
(1952–present)

| Africa|

* Angola
* Cameroon
* Egypt
* Equatorial Guinea
* Ghana
* Mauritius
* Namibia
* Nigeria
* Seychelles
* South Africa
* Zimbabwe

|

Americas|

* Argentina
* Aruba
* Bahamas
* Belize
* Bolivia
* Brazil
* British Virgin Islands
* Canada
* Cayman Islands
* Chile
* Colombia
* Costa Rica
* Curaçao
* Dominican Republic
* Ecuador
* El Salvador
* Guatemala
* Guyana
* Haiti
* Honduras
* Jamaica
* Mexico
* Nicaragua
* Panama
* Paraguay
* Peru
* Puerto Rico
* Saint Lucia
* Trinidad and Tobago
* United States
* Uruguay
* Venezuela

Asia|

* Bahrain
* Bhutan
* Cambodia
* China
* India
* Indonesia
* Japan
* Kyrgyzstan
* Laos
* Lebanon
* Malaysia
* Mongolia
* Myanmar
* Nepal
* Pakistan
* Philippines
* Singapore
* South Korea
* Thailand
* Vietnam

Europe|

* Albania
* Armenia
* Belgium
* Bulgaria
* Croatia
* Czech Republic
* Denmark
* Finland
* France
* Germany
* Great Britain
* Greece
* Hungary
* Iceland
* Ireland
* Italy
* Kazakhstan
* Kosovo
* Latvia
* Malta
* Netherlands
* Norway
* Poland
* Portugal
* Russia
* Slovakia
* Spain
* Switzerland
* Turkey
* Ukraine

Oceania|

* Australia
* New Zealand

Inactive since 2022 (under JKN Metaverse Inc.)

| Africa|

* Benin (1962)
* Botswana (2013)
* Cote d'Ivoire (1986)
* Democratic Republic of the Congo (1986)
* Ethiopia (2017)
* Eswatini (1994)
* Gabon (2015)
* Kenya (2021)
* Lesotho (1978)
* Liberia (1977)
* Madagascar (1961)
* Morocco (2021)
* Senegal (1987)
* Sierra Leone (2019)
* Tanzania (2019)
* The Gambia (1986)
* Tunisia (1971)
* Zambia (2018)

|

Americas|

* Antigua and Barbuda (2008)
* Barbados (2020)
* Bermuda (1997)
* Cuba (1967)
* Dominica (1985)
* Grenada (1964)
* Saint Kitts and Nevis (1981)
* Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (2006)
* Sint Maarten (2006)
* Suriname (1999)
* Turks and Caicos (2014)
* US Virgin Islands (2019)

Asia|

* Bangladesh (2019)
* Chinese Taipei (2004)
* Iraq (2017)
* Israel (2021)
* Jordan (1960)
* Sri Lanka (2018)

Europe|

* Austria (2017)
* Azerbaijan (2013)
* Cyprus (2013)
* Estonia (2013)
* Georgia (2019)
* Lithuania (2019)
* Luxembourg (1994)
* Montenegro (2015)
* Romania (2021)
* Serbia (2015)
* Slovenia (2017)
* Sweden (2021)

Oceania|

* American Samoa (1978)
* Cook Islands (1999)
* Fiji (1981)
* Guam (2019)
* Northern Marianas (2006)
* Papua New Guinea (1986)
* Samoa (1986)
* Vanuatu (1978)

Inactive territories and dependencies
(1952–2006)

| Disputed Parts and SAR's of China|

* Taiwan (1961–1964)
* Hong Kong (1952–2000)

|

Constituent country of Denmark|

* Greenland (1987–1990)

Overseas regions and collectivities of France|

* French Guiana (1977–1984)
* Guadeloupe (1977–1984)
* Martinique (1957–1984)
* New Caledonia (1982)
* Réunion (1977–1986)
* Tahiti (1962–1985)

Constituent countries of Great Britain|

* England (1955–1990)
* Scotland (1961–1990)
* Wales (1961–1990)

British Overseas City of Great Britain|

* Gibraltar (1981–1990)

Prefecture of Japan|

* Okinawa (1963–1968)

Region of the Netherlands|

* Bonaire (1967–1999)

Bantustans of South Africa|

* Bophuthatswana (1979)
* Transkei (1979–1983)

States of the United States|

* Alaska (1952–1958)
* Hawaii (1952–1959)

Former entities (1952–2006)|

* Commonwealth of Independent States (1992)
* Czechoslovakia (1970–1992)
* Micronesia (1975)
* Southern Rhodesia (1961)
* Serbia and Montenegro (2003–2006)
* Soviet Union (1990–1991)
* West Indies (1954–1958)
* Yugoslavia (1968–2002)

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