Now, her win is attracting more attention — for different reasons. A local tabloid revealed that she had been having an affair with a married man, leading to intense media scrutiny and causing Shino to give up her crown – just over a week after she won it.
The incident highlighted two issues that are hotly debated in Japan — what it means to be Japanese in a country where conservatives have historically opposed immigration and emphasized racial homogeneity — and the expectation that public figures, especially women, adhere to what society is committed to. He sees high ethical standards.
The scandal broke last week, when Japanese tabloid Shukan Bunshun published a story alleging that Shino was having an affair with a married Japanese doctor.
In a statement that has since been deleted from her website, the pageant organizer said Chino was not wrong because the man told her he was single.
But on Monday, modeling agency Free Wave, which represents Chino, said new information had come to light: It said Chino learned during the relationship that the man was married and continued to date him. The agency said that Shino initially lied because she was afraid, but decided to tell the truth to avoid causing more problems.
Chino confirmed this in a statement on Instagram: “There was some discrepancy between the facts and what I explained to my agency. “I couldn’t tell the truth because of confusion and fear.” She said she would step down as Miss Japan 2024 and asked her agency to terminate her contract.
The Miss Japan Association said it had accepted her resignation “due to personal circumstances,” adding that the Miss Japan position would remain vacant until the next competition.
Miss Japan is one of many beauty pageants in Japan. The first contest was held in 1952. The contest claims to be “looking for true Japanese beauty,” and states on its website that “beauty is not only defined by a person’s appearance, but also by their behavior and effort.”
The controversial nature may be a setback for those advocating for greater acceptance of diversity in public life in Japan.
Japan has strict rules on obtaining citizenship – dual citizenship is prohibited – and although the proportion of foreign-born residents is growing, it is still lower than many other developed countries.
Multicultural and biracial people have described facing discrimination, even when they become celebrities or top athletes. Tennis star Naomi Osaka, who was born to a Japanese mother and a Haitian father, faced criticism from nationalists when she spoke publicly about race and politics. Ariana Miyamoto, who was born to a Japanese mother and an African-American father, also faced backlash after becoming Miss Universe Japan.
In 2021, the US Embassy in Tokyo warned that it had received reports of foreigners being stopped and searched in “suspected incidents of racial profiling.”
Sheno was born in Ternopil, western Ukraine, according to Ukrainian media. When Shino was 5 years old, her mother married a Japanese man and moved to Nagoya, Japan, the Japan Times reported. In 2023, she declared herself a naturalized Japanese citizen.
In Japan, the private lives of public figures regularly come under scrutiny, with media attention intense when celebrities are seen as negligent – and critics say female public figures are judged especially harshly.
For example, one scandal in 2013 involved a young pop star, Minami Minegishi, who was found to have violated the rules of her management company by having a night out with her boyfriend. As a result, her management company demoted her – and she uploaded a tearful apology video showing she had shaved her head in remorse – leading to shocking headlines around the world.
Online, some commenters questioned why Shino was denied the Miss Japan crown due to the affair, and wondered whether the other party involved would face similar consequences. One said: “The Miss Japan Association should think deeply about why the social and economic consequences in cases of infidelity fall disproportionately on the unmarried female and not on the married man.”
Another description The whole situation as a “sad ending”.
