Japan's newest Miss Universe contestant is breaking barriers – but not everybody is happy about it.
Ariana Miyamoto, 20, is the daughter of a Japanese woman and African-American black man.
Miyamoto said in an interview with Japanese press that "while she doesn't 'look Japanese' on the outside, on the inside, there are many Japanese things about her,"
In Japan, mixed-race people are known as “hafu”, and after Ms Miyamoto was selected as Miss Universe Japan last week, social media users have been asking if it is “ok to choose a hafu to represent Japan?”
Someone even posted, "Even though she’s Miss Universe Japan, her face is foreign no matter how you look at it!"
Miyamoto spent her high school years in the U.S. before she returned to Japan to become a model.
She is a master of Japanese calligraphy and lists her hobbies as cooking and touring – she also has a motorcycle license.
As she gets ready to face the Miss Universe competition next January, Miyamoto seems to be focusing on the positive.
"The world competition is going to be tough, but I’ll believe in myself and continue doing my best!" she said.
