Miss International

Miss International (Miss International Beauty or The International Beauty Pageant) is a Japanese-based international beauty pageant organized by The International Culture Association. The pageant was first held in 1960.[1][2] Miss International is the fourth largest pageant in the world in terms of having crowned national winners to participate in the international contest.[3][4][5]

Miss International
Logo of the Miss International Pageant.
MottoLove, Peace and Beauty
Formation12 August 1960 (1960-08-12)
TypeBeauty pageant
HeadquartersTokyo
Location
Official language
English
President
Akemi Shimomura
AffiliationsMiss Paris Group
Websitehttps://www.miss-international.org/en/

Along with Miss World, Miss Universe, and Miss Earth, this pageant is one of the Big Four international beauty pageants.[6] The Miss International Organization and the brand are currently owned, along with Miss International Japan, by ICA (International Cultural Association) and Miss Paris Group. The pageant crown used by the organization is supplied and patented by the Mikimoto pearl company.

The current Miss International is Sireethorn Leearamwat of Thailand who was crowned at the Miss International 2019 pageant on 12 November 2019 in Tokyo, Kantō, Japan.

History
Miss International sash

The pageant was created in Long Beach, California, United States in 1960[7] after the departure of the Miss Universe pageant to Miami Beach.[8] Hosted in Long Beach until 1967,[9] the pageant moved to Japan from 1968 to 1970, being hosted each year in the same city as the Expo '70. For 1971, it was held in Long Beach again, but since that time it has been held annually in Japan until 2003. Since 2004, it is held in China or Japan.[10] The first winner of the pageant in 1960 was Stella Araneta of Colombia.

Since then, Japan became the host country and the pageant has mostly been held in Japan, around autumn season either in October or November. The pageant is also called "Miss International Beauty".[11] The pageant advocacy is to achieve a world where women can live with positivity, inner strength and individuality.[12] The slogan of Miss International is to "correct understanding of Japan in the international community" and "the realization of world peace through mutual understanding".[13][10]

In 2017, Kevin Lilliana Junaedy of Indonesia became the first moslem women to win Miss International and the four major international pageants .[14][15][16] In 2020, this will be the second time the pageant has been cancelled since 1966, because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[17]

Controversy

The winner of Miss International 2012, Ikumi Yoshimatsu of Japan was stripped of her crown and was not able to crown her successor due to conflict with a talent agency that threatened her safety and the pageant night itself;[18][19][20] instead Miss International 2008 Alejandra Andreu took over in passing on the crown to Bea Santiago of the Philippines. She was the first titleholder of the pageant from Japan to be dethroned shortly before the end of her reign.[21][22][23] The organization has been criticized for not standing up for allegedly asking Ikumi Yoshimatsu, Miss International 2012, to skip the succession ceremony and "play sick and shut up" in order to avoid a scandal with a Japanese production company whose president allegedly was harassing Yoshimatsu.[2][24]

Crowns of Miss International
The Mikimoto Crown, as worn by Miss International 2017, Kevin Lilliana Junaedy
  • Mikimoto Crown (1970–1998; 2015–present) – This crown was designed by Tomohiro Yamaji for the Mikimoto Company, the official jewel sponsor of the Miss International Organization. It contains 575.31 grams of 14k and 18k gold, 650 South Sea and Akoya pearls, ranging in size from 3 to 18 mm diameter and is valued at US$350,000. The crown was designed for the pageant on Mikimoto Pearl Island in Japan with the Mikimoto crown and tiara being first used for Miss International 2013, which was unveiled by the president of Miss International, Akemi Shimomura. The crown was again used when Valerie Hernandez of Puerto Rico crowned Edymar Martinez of Venezuela as Miss International 2015.[25]
  • Pearl Crown (1999–2005; 2007–2014) – This crown was used from 1999–2005; 2007–2014. Same as the current Mikimoto crown, this crown was designed by Tomohiro Yamaji for the Mikimoto Company. The crown has a symbolic design with a couple of horses and 530 South Sea and Akoya pearls. It was retired after Valerie Hernandez of Puerto Rico used the crown in 2015.[26]
  • Crystal Crown (2006) – also known as Maki Diamond tiara, this crown was used when Daniela di Giacomo of Venezuela was crowned Miss International 2006. She was the only Miss International titleholder to wear this crown. The crown was valued at US$150,000, was made of an 18 karat combination of white and yellow gold and composed of over 1,000 precious stones.[27]

Recent titleholders
Main article: List of Miss International titleholders
Edition Country Titleholder National Title Number of Entrants
2019  Thailand Sireethorn Leearamwat Miss Thailand 83
2018  Venezuela Mariem Velazco Miss Venezuela 77
2017  Indonesia Kevin Lilliana Puteri Indonesia 69
2016  Philippines Kylie Verzosa Binibining Pilipinas 69
2015  Venezuela Edymar Martínez Miss Venezuela 70

See also
  • List of beauty contests

References
  1. "MOFA examines beauty contest's 'belittling'". China Post. 21 October 2008. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
  2. Adelstein, Jake. "First lady scrutinizes blackballing of beauty queen". The Japan Times. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  3. Kerongo, Grace (10 November 2015). "Kenyan Beauty Crowned Miss International in Tokyo". All Africa. Archived from the original on 12 November 2015. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  4. King, Kathryn (30 April 2015). "Former Miss Manawatu goes international". Manawatu Standard. Retrieved 21 October 2018.
  5. Hartman, Jan (1 October 2018). "Paid? The New Miss Ukraine 2018 Controversial". The Siver Telegram. Retrieved 21 October 2018.>
  6. Enriquez, Amee (2 February 2014). "Beauty Pageant Basics". BBC. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  7. "6th place winner low-rates Miami". The Miami News. 13 August 1960. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
  8. "May settle dispute over beauty pageant". Lewiston Evening Journal. 22 August 1959. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
  9. "Pageant shifted". Spokane Daily Chronicle. 23 April 1968. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
  10. History of Miss International Archived 16 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Miss-international.org. Retrieved 2010-10-21.
  11. "Miss Germany Tops Beauties". The Hartford Courant. 14 August 1965. Retrieved 16 November 2010. Ingrid Fiffi Finger, was named Miss International Beauty Friday.
  12. Miss International, News (7 September 2018). "The Miss International Advocacy". Miss International. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  13. Miss Internationall, Website (26 April 2020). "About Miss International". Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  14. News, The Jakarta Post. "Indonesia's Kevin Lilliana wins Miss International 2017". The Jakarta Post. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
  15. News, Philippine Daily Inquirer. "Indonesian gets Miss International crown; PH bet fails to get into finals". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
  16. "La indonesia Kevin Lilliana se corona Miss Internacional 2017 en Tokio". El Nuevo Herald (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 November 2017.
  17. "Yokohama y Tokio, sedes para el Miss International 2020 que será el 21 de octubre" (in Spanish). Telemetro. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  18. News, Tokyo Times (17 December 2013). "Japanese Miss International 2012, dethroned after harassment scandal". Tokyo Times. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  19. Ornos, Riza (17 December 2013). "No Farewell Walk for Miss International 2012 Reigning Queen Ikumi Yoshimatsu". International Business Times. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  20. Adalia, JB (17 December 2013). "Miss Philippines Wins Miss International 2013". Kicker Daily. Archived from the original on 16 January 2018. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  21. News, Tokyo Times (17 December 2013). "Japanese Miss International 2012, dethroned after harassment scandal". Tokyo Times. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  22. Ornos, Riza (17 December 2013). "No Farewell Walk for Miss International 2012 Reigning Queen Ikumi Yoshimatsu". International Business Times. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  23. Adalia, JB (17 December 2013). "Miss Philippines Wins Miss International 2013". Kicker Daily. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  24. 株式会社スポーツニッポン新聞社マルチメディア事業本部. "ミス・インターナショナル代表７２人 東京タワーで"頂点"祈願". Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  25. "Aurora Pijuan's 1970 Miss International Mikimoto tiara-crown up for auction". Lifestyle Inquirer. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  26. "When Japan won its first Miss International crown – and the lingering controversy that followed". normannorman.com. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  27. "Pageant Almanac". Retrieved on 11 April 2008.

Further reading
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