Last week i previewed the Miss Universe Japan contest, on the back of enjoying Miss Nippon / Miss Japan 2008 earlier in the year, which was held at Tokyo Big Site last night. The winner who will go on to compete in the Miss Universe 2008 competition on the 14th of July in Vietnam is the lovely Hiroko Mima, not my pick but then again i wasn`t asked and i wouldn’t complain if i had a Japanese Girlfriend that looked like her either!
Hiroko, a 22-year-old student from Tokushima, beat out nearly 4,000 applicants this year. The 173-cm-tall beauty is a keen high jumper and excels at Awa Odori dance.
Here’s Hiroko pictured on the left, with last years winner, Riyo Mori, who went on to win Miss Universe 2007.
All the best to Hiroko in the coming months as she prepares to bring to title back to Japan for the second year running. I’m more than happy to extend the offer of private English lessons if she feels she needs some work in that area. Come to think of it, if any of her other Friends in the top 10 would like to take me up on the offer i’m more than happy to obligue, as would Chris i’m sure!
For a few more photos head over to this years Miss Nippon / Miss Japan 2008 event here
A week today and the 10 finalists in this years Miss Universe Japan contest will take the stage hoping to represent Japan later in the year and Miss Universe 2008.
Since attending Miss Nippon 2008 i had kept a close eye on the calendar in the lead up to next weeks event. Not close enough by the looks of it and it seems ticket sales closed yesterday. I have someone on the job as i write this and i’m still a hopeful starter at next Thursdays event, fingers crossed.
Since its founding in 1998, the Miss Universe Japan pageant, run by acclaimed French national director, Ines Ligron. It has achieved the impressive result of having three top 5 finalists and one winner at the Miss Universe pageant within a short span of 9 years.
Update -
And the eventual winner of Miss Universe Japan 2008, Hiroko Mima.
Ines Ligron was catapulted to the international spotlight when Riyo Mori won Japan’s second Miss Universe crown in Mexico in 2007.
The remaining 10 girls hoping to following in the footsteps of Chibana Kurara, Miss Universe Japan 2006 and are as follows;
Asuza Nishigaki
Chie Hirai on the right
Hiroko Mima
Kana Anan & Sayo Yamaguchi
Moe Aoki
Rui Watanabe
Kana Anan far right
Today i attended this years Miss Nippon / Miss Japan (ミス日本グランプリ決定コンテスト) contest and what a day it was. Firstly let me clarify, Miss Nippon and Miss Japan are one and the same, Miss Universe Japan is a different contest which started in 1998.
Miss Japan Pageant
The Miss Japan pageant had existed from 1952 to 1997. During that period, the pageant managed to produce three top 5 finalists and a winner, Akiko Kojima, who claimed the first crown for Japan in 1959.
Miss Universe Japan Pageant
Since its founding in 1998, the Miss Universe Japan pageant, run by acclaimed French national director, Ines Ligron. It has achieved the impressive result of having three top 5 finalists and one winner at the Miss Universe pageant within a short span of 9 years. Ines Ligron was catapulted to the international spotlight when Riyo Mori won Japan’s second Miss Universe crown in Mexico in 2007
Now, on to business – Over a preliminary day of “Competiton” where only the parents of the competitors were allowed, the starting 27 were narrowed to 10 finalists.
In what turned out to be a closed to the public event, i was fortunate enough to be invited and sponsored, the only Gaijin in attendance.
The Winner of Miss Nippon / Miss Japan 2008 – Suzuki Eri (スズキ エリ)
Upon arrival we were met with 8 of last years finalists, a nice way to start the day. The girls included;
