TOKIO.- The winner of the beauty pageant Miss Japan this year, born in Ukraine, and the organizers of the pageant announced the resignation of her title after a magazine published an article about her romance with a doctor and influencer married.
Karolina Shiino was crowned Miss Japan on January 22, sparking renewed public debate about what it means to be Japanese in a country where homogeneity and conformity are still valued.
In a message posted on Instagram, Shiino said that after the article was published, she offered to give up her crown and her modeling agency. She noted that her request was accepted.
The Associated Press could not immediately reach Shiino for comment.
The Japanese tabloid Shukan Bunshun reported last week that Shiino had been in a relationship with the married man. Initially, she seemed to confirm it, but she said she didn’t know he was in another relationship.
He later stated that his previous explanation was not true and that he was aware of his marital status and that he had a family. She apologized and pointed out that she came into shock and he was panicked by the report, so he could not tell the truth.
“I am very sorry for causing that tremendous problem and for acting as if I betrayed everyone who has supported me,” he said on Instagram.
Miss Japan apologizes to doctor’s family
Shiino also apologized to the man’s partner and family, as well as other parties involved.
The office of Miss Japan organizers said today that Shiino’s resignation from the title was accepted and that the slot for the 2024 winner would remain empty.
The organization stressed that it takes responsibility for causing the uproar seriously and apologized to sponsors, judges and others involved. She said that she defended Shiino at first, based on her initial explanation that the man she was involved with had told her that he was divorced from her and that she broke up with him when she found out otherwise.
Scandal on networks
The scandal reignited a wave of criticism of Shiino on social media, but also raised questions about why she was primarily blamed for the affair.
The man involved, Takuma Maeda, a influencer Known as a muscular doctor, he acknowledged on Instagram that he had no intention of divorcing his wife and apologized for causing trouble for Shiino and others. He promised to dedicate himself sincerely to his work and his private life.
In male-dominated Japanese culture, women are expected to be good mothers and wives, and are publicly punished more than men for extramarital affairs.
Last year, famous Japanese actress Ryoko Hirosue’s acting agency suspended her indefinitely from her employment contracts for her alleged affair with a celebrity chef who is also married.
Shiino has lived in Japan since she moved to the country at age 5. She speaks fluent Japanese and became naturalized in 2022. She has worked as a model and said that she has as strong a sense of Japanese identity as anyone else, despite her Caucasian appearance.
Source: AP
