was the 12th edition of the Miss Grand Japan pageant, held on 10 August 2026 at Hulic Hall in Yurakucho, Tokyo. Seventeen contestants, selected from an initial field of 22 semifinalists announced in March, competed for the national title.
At the end of the event, Sara Chiba of Aichi was crowned Miss Grand Japan 2026 by the outgoing titleholder. She will represent Japan at Miss Grand International 2026, scheduled to be held in India in October 2026. The runners-up were Christina Chieko Ishibashi (Japanese communities in the United States), Yuka Oyama of Nara, Reika Nakatsu (Japanese communities in China), and Maria Sano of Tottori. Sano also received the Miss Friendship award, while Ishibashi was named Miss Peace, Miss Talent, and Best in Evening Gown.
The pageant was held concurrently with the Mister Gay Japan 2026 contest, with both events hosted by Rico and Yukako Yoshii.
Background Date and venue In the finalist announcement released in March 2026, the organizer stated that the national grand final would be held in August, though the specific date and venue remained undisclosed at that time. It was then announced on 6 July that the final competition would be held on 10 August at Hulic Hall, Yurakucho, Tokyo. As in previous editions, the contest is being held alongside the Mister Gay Japan pageant.
Selection of contestants
Applications for Miss Grand Japan 2026, coordinated centrally by the national organizer, were accepted from 5 November 2025 to 11 January 2026. A total of 22 qualified contestants was announced on 13 March 2026. Four contestants later withdrew and were replaced by new entrants selected through the Career Quota Audition (), resulting in 20 contestants at the time of the official finalist announcement on 31 March 2026. The Career Quota Audition remained open until May for applicants meeting specific criteria, such as possessing outstanding special skills or having a large social media following, through which additional contestants were added to the line-up. By early June, five more contestants had withdrawn, leaving 17 contestants to compete in the grand final.
Competition results
Placement CandidateMiss Grand Japan 2026Aichi – Sara Chiba1st runner-upJapanese communities in the USA – Christina Chieko Ishibashi2nd runner-upNara – Yuka Oyama3rd runner-upJapanese communities in China – Reika Nakatsu4th runner-upTottori – Maria SanoTop 8Kanagawa – Mao Eguchi Niigata – Meiko Osaka III – Risako Yamaoka
Contestants Originally, 22 contestants qualified for the national finals, but several later withdrew and were replaced by contestants recruited through the Career Quota Audition, resulting in a final line-up of 17 contestants set to compete at the grand final. RepresentedRomanized nameJapanese name NiigataMeiko Osaka IYuuka Himeno IbarakiHaruka Toyoshima Japanese communities in ThailandArisa Kawai川井 ありさ NaraYuka Oyama大山 祐佳 TokushimaYu Kobayashi小林 優 Japanese communities in the PhilippinesNanami Ishikawa石川 七海 TottoriMaria Sano佐野 マリア KanagawaMao Eguchi江口 真央 Japanese communities in the USAChristina Chieko Ishibashi石橋 クリスティーナ智恵子 Japanese communities in VietnamTran Thi Diem Leトランティディエン レイ AichiHazuru Chiba千葉 羽寿留 Japanese communities in ChinaReika Nakatsu Osaka IIKaori Nakayama中山 香里 NagasakiAoi Hirayama平山 蒼 Osaka IIIRisako Yamaoka山岡 梨紗子 YamanashiAnzあんず
References