Miss Universe Japan () is a national Beauty pageant in Japan that selects a candidate for Miss Universe.
Since 2018, the national director of Miss Universe Japan is Hiroko Mima.
History
The Miss Japan pageant was founded in 1952, and has had several sponsors. Between 1952 and 1995 it was sponsored and run by Asahi Broadcasting Corporation, this ended in 1995. Two years later, French businesswoman Inès Ligron established a company to operate the pageant as Miss Universe Japan. Until 2007, the organisation produced one winner, two top five runners-up and one top 15 semifinalist at Miss Universe. Under Ligron, Riyo Mori won Miss Universe 2007. In 2009, Ligron left the organisation.
National directors
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
Gallery of Miss Universe winners
Titleholders
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. After reaching the top 12 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 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.
YearPrefectureMiss Universe JapanJapanese NamePlacement at Miss UniverseSpecial Awards Hiroko Mima directorship — a franchise holder to Miss Universe from 2018 2026 Fukuoka Sayuki Ito さゆき 伊藤 TBA 2025 Tochigi Kaori Hashimoto 橋本香織 Top 30 2024 Hyōgo Kaya Chakrabortty チャクラボルティ 雅 Top 30 2023 Shizuoka Rio Miyazaki 宮崎 莉緒 Unplaced 2022 Chiba Marybelén Sakamoto マリベレン坂本 Unplaced 2021 Tokyo Juri Watanabe 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 Izumi Toda and Akihiro Yoshida (HDR Corporation) directorship: Miss Japan Organization — a franchise holder to Miss Universe between 2010―2017 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 2012 Miyagi Ayako Hara 原 綾子 Unplaced 2011 Tokyo Maria Kamiyama 神山 まりあ Unplaced 2010 Ōita Maiko Itai 板井 麻衣子 UnplacedInès Ligron (WCBA) directorship — a franchise holder to Miss Universe between 1998―2009 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 UnplacedYoshinaga (Japanese-American Press) directorship — a franchise holder to Miss Universe between 1952―1995 colspan=6 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 Miss International Japan Miss World Japan Miss Grand Japan Miss Earth Japan Miss Japan Miss Nippon Mister Japan
References
External links Official website