The statuesque in an embroidered column dress, who was crowned Miss Japan 2024, said through tears that she finally felt accepted in a nation she'd called home since she was 5. The first foreign-born woman to wear a crown meant to signify the "foremost beauty of all Japanese women" was the winner of the Miss Japan title.
The crowning of Ms. Shiino was the latest test of what it means to be Japanese at a time when the country has record numbers of resident foreign nationals and faces a demographic crisis that will require businesses to recruit more foreign workers. The reign of Ms. Shiino was ended this week over an affair with a married man that was published in a tabloid.