by XAMURAI » Fri Nov 13, 2015 11:19 am
Q: If you become the next Miss Supranational, what will you do and why?
Mieko: The biggest advantage that I have is the fact that in Japan right now, the business sector is moving exponentially. The Tokyo Olympics is inspiring a lot of companies to find opportunities to promote their products. The Olympics may be five years from now, but actually, I can say that now is right time to grab the opportunity and make Miss Supranational an established brand name before 2020. If I become Miss Supranational, I am confident that the Japanese media will follow my journey, and in the process, it will gain massive support from Japanese companies globally. I will do everything that I can to give Miss Supranational a whole different level of exposure and media mileage because this pageant is exactly what we need now to give people a better understanding of what beauty queens can do.
Q: Just like what is now happening with Yuri Uchida, the reigning International Queen of Coffee?
Mieko: Exactly! Yuri is my friend, and look at what she has achieved now! The Coffee Queen pageant was basically an unknown pageant before Yuri won, but look at where it has gone now, and where Yuri has been to? She is everywhere, and is proudly wearing her sash and crown. As far as the Colombian coffee industry is concerned, you can easily spot her. Coffee producers and cafe shops want her to promote their products, and right now she is the face of the biggest coffee producer in western Japan. What I am trying to say is, it means a lot for Japanese people to win something before we will actually embrace it. It is just part of our culture and mindset.
Photo of Mieko with Yuri Uchida (International Queen of Coffee 2015) and Anri Okane (Miss United Continents Japan 2015).
Q: What do you think is biggest misconception about beauty queens in Japan?
Mieko: It is true that beauty contestants in Japan are mainly used to promote commercial products and services that are meant to make women look more beautiful, or lose more weight, or things that are mainly superficial. I am not saying that it is a bad thing, but I believe that many pageants in Japan lack social causes. I want to correct the wrong impression that beauty queens are superficial beings who just do as they are told by sponsors. That is what I like the most about Miss Supranational because I have studied the reign of Ms Asha Bhat. She has been doing a great job championing things that are close to her heart, and gets to keep her title and crown without being enslaved by irrational demands of sponsors. This is why Miss Supranational is a great pageant to introduce to our country.
Q: Is there any charity work that you plan to support if ever you win the title?
Mieko: I was told that Miss Supranational does not have a specific advocacy that the queen has to do. If you are the reigning queen, you basically have the choice on what to do with the crown on your head. If I am blessed to get that crown, I will try to reach out to the various JICA offices in countries that I will intend to visit. I have researched on the countries that Ms Asha Bhat has visited and I learned that she was invited several times to crown the Miss Supranational national winners, such as in Myanmar, Thailand, Mauritius and other countries. So it is a matter of personal initiative on my part to contact a Japanese organization that does social and charitable works in those countries that I will hopefully visit, and from there, I can get myself involved in helping them with the time given to me. However, I have to say that I have to strengthen my advocacy, first, here in Japan. Bullying and teenage suicide are at an alarming stage right now, so I want to be a spokesperson for anti-bullying campaigns in Japan.
Q: Finally, your message to your fans…
Mieko: Thank you very much for all the wonderful words that you always post on my Instagram and Facebook account. I am always encouraged by your messages. I am very blessed that there are many people out there who believe in me. Because of you, I promise to do my best in Poland. I will update you about Miss Supranational 2015 and beautiful Poland, so please follow us in our social media account. Don’t forget to support my friends who will also join me in Poland – Miss Israel, my roommie at Miss Gwand Miss Macau, as well as Miss Colombia!
Interview by: Shota Ise
My Interview for GMA Western Visayas
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