Meet the finalists of Miss World Japan 2017

Miss World Japan 2017 has commenced with the announcement of thirty-one finalists who will be competing in the grand finale scheduled to be held on 4th September 2017. Priyanka Yoshikawa, Miss World Japan 2016, will pass on her crown and title to the winner, who will go on to represent Japan in Miss World 2017 to be held in China later this year.

The finalists of Miss World Japan 2017 are Rin Asano, Amami Ichikawa, Azusa Omura, Mio Okayasu, Rina Osanai, Chiaki Kawakami, Saki Kawaguchi, Yuka Kimura, Tsukika Kudo, Chika Kuriyama, Rika Sasaki, Akane Sato, Rumi Shinoda, Rena Shibuya, Kaori Shoji, Natsumi Sugihara, Norie Tsumura, Akari Tomioka, Sayaka Nagatani, Kotomi Hasegawa, Yuka Hayashi, Maya Hiruta, Sumine Fukuda, Keiko Maruyama, Misaki Miyata, Nanami Yamazawa, Haruka Yamashita, Saki Yamato, Rika Yamamura, Emi Yokota, and Serena Yoshizato.

The last edition of Miss World Japan faced a lot of criticism from fans on social media with the crowning of a multiracial or 'hafu' woman as Miss World Japan 2016. Priyanka Yoshikawa is half Indian, and fans on social media wished to have a pure Japanese woman to represent Japan in Miss World. Even in 2015, Ariana Miyamoto, who was crowned Miss Universe Japan 2015, had faced an ugly, racist backlash for becoming the first black woman to represent Japan in Miss Universe. It seems that this year there are not any finalists who have multiracial roots.