# Miss International Japan

Miss International Japan is a national Beauty pageant in Japan. it was created in 1960 in response to Japan's then-recent lack of finalists at the Miss International pageant.

## History

Miss International Japan Beauty pageant has consisted of the passion and energy given by the “Goodwill Ambassadors of Beauty" from all over Japan country who aspire for "contribute to global society". This pageant is under of Miss International Organization by ICA (International Cultural Association).
The winner of Miss International Japan will be contributing at the Miss International pageant. Since 1960 participating at the pageant, Japan has only one winner, Ikumi Yoshimatsu (吉松 育美) from Tosu, Japan.

## International Cultural Association

The Association was approved and founded in April 1969 (Showa 44) as an incorporated organization of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Cultural Exchange Division), for the purpose of "friendship and goodwill between all nations of the world" through international exchange.

## Titleholders
### Color key

* Declared as Winner
* Ended as runner-up
* Ended as one of the finalists or semifinalists
* Ended as special award winner
| Year | Miss International Japan | Japanese | Represented | Placement | Special Awards | National competition date | World competition date |
| 2025 | Ai Nozaki | 野崎愛 | Yamanashi | TBA | TBA | December 10, 2024 | TBA |
| 2024 | Mei Ueda | 上田芽生 | Kumamoto | Top 20 | Miss International Asia | November 28, 2023 | November 12, 2024 |
| 2023 | Tamao Yoneyama | 米山珠緒 | Tokyo | | | November 8, 2022 | October 26, 2023 |
| 2022 | Kiko Matsuo | 松尾 綺子 | Saga | | Miss International Asia | November 30, 2021 | December 13, 2022 |
| 2021 | Due to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic, no pageant in 2021 | Due to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic, no pageant in 2021 | Due to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic, no pageant in 2021 | Due to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic, no pageant in 2021 | Due to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic, no pageant in 2021 | Due to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic, no pageant in 2021 | Due to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic, no pageant in 2021 |
| 2020 | Chiho Terauchi | 寺内 千穂 | Tochigi | Did not compete | | November 26, 2019 | N/A |
| 2019 | Tomomi Okada | 岡田 朋峰 | Tokyo | | | October 23, 2018 | November 12, 2019 |
| 2018 | Hinano Sugimoto | 杉本 雛乃 | Tokyo | Top 8 | | October 30, 2017 | November 9, 2018 |
| 2017 | Natsuki Tsutsui | 筒井 菜月 | Saitama | 4th Runner-up | Best National Costume | October 25, 2016 | November 14, 2017 |
| 2016 | Junna Yamagata | 山形 純菜 | Iwate | Top 15 | | November 3, 2015 | October 27, 2016 |
| 2015 | Arisa Nakagawa | 中川 愛理沙 | Chiba | | Best National Costume | November 4, 2014 | November 5, 2015 |
| 2014 | Rira Hongo | 本郷 李來 | Tokyo | | | January 25, 2014 | November 11, 2014 |
| 2013 | Yukiko Takahashi | 高橋 由紀子 | Tokyo | | | November 4, 2012 | December 17, 2013 |
| 2012 | Ikumi Yoshimatsu | 吉松 育美 | Saga | Miss International 2012 | Miss Photogenic | November 20, 2011 | October 21, 2012 |
| 2011 | Nagomi Murayama | 村山 和実 | Kanagawa | | | November 20, 2010 | November 6, 2011 |
| 2010 | Etsuko Kanagae | 金ヶ江 悦子 | Osaka | Top 15 | Miss Elegance | December 13, 2009 | November 7, 2010 |
| 2009 | Yuka Nakayama | 中山 由香 | Fukuoka | Top 15 | Miss Congeniality | October 25, 2008 | November 28, 2009 |
| 2008 | Kyoko Sugiyama | 杉山 恭子 | Kanagawa | Top 12 | | October 15, 2007 | November 8, 2008 |
| 2007 | Hisako Shirata | 白田 久子 | Osaka | Top 15 | Miss Photogenic | October 15, 2006 | October 15, 2007 |
| 2006 | Mami Sakurai | 櫻井 麻美 | Tokyo | Top 12 | | September 26, 2005 | November 11, 2006 |
| 2005 | Naomi Ishizaka | 石坂 直美 | Tokyo | Top 12 | | October 5, 2004 | September 26, 2005 |
| 2004 | Tamiko Kawahara | 川原 多美子 | Ibaraki | Top 15 | | October 8, 2003 | October 16, 2004 |
| 2003 | Saeko Matsumi | 松見 早枝子 | Tokyo | Top 12 | Miss Congeniality | September 30, 2002 | October 8, 2003 |
| 2002 | Hana Urushima | 漆島 華 | Kyoto | 2nd runner-up | | | September 30, 2002 |
| 2001 | Hanako Suzuki | 鈴木 華子 | Saitama | Top 15 | | | October 4, 2001 |
| 2000 | Kanako Shibata | 柴田 加奈子 | Hokkaido | Top 15 | | | October 4, 2000 |
| 1999 | Kana Onoda | 小野田 加奈 | Fukushima | Top 15 | |
| 1998 | Megumi Taira | 平 恵 | Tokyo | Top 15 | |
| 1997 | Sayuri Seki | 関 さゆり | Saitama | Top 15 | |
| 1996 | Akiko Sugano | 菅野 安希子 | Tokyo | Top 15 | |
| 1995 | Yuka Kondo | 近藤 由夏 | Osaka | Top 15 | |
| 1994 | Tomomi Hanamura | 花村 ともみ | Aichi | Top 15 | |
| 1993 | Masayo Shibasaki | 柴崎 雅代 | Kanagawa | Top 15 | |
| 1992 | Tomoko Nishiki | 錦 知子 | Osaka | | |
| 1991 | Miho Takata | 高田 美穂 | Ehime | Top 15 | |
| 1990 | Hiroko Ohnishi | 大西 啓子 | Hyōgo | Top 15 | |
| 1989 | Tamae Ogura | 小倉 玉江 | Osaka | | |
| 1988 | Yuki Egami | 江上 有希 | Fukui | Top 15 | |
| 1987 | Yayoi Morita | 盛田 弥生 | Yamanashi | Top 15 | |
| 1986 | Rika Kobayashi | 小林 利花 | Shizuoka | Top 15 | |
| 1985 | Makiko Matsumoto | 松本 万貴子 | Osaka | Top 15 | |
| 1984 | Junko Ueno | 上野 順子 | Osaka | Top 15 | |
| 1983 | Akemi Fujita | 藤田 明美 | Yamaguchi | Top 15 | |
| 1982 | Yukiko Tsutsumi | 堤 由記子 | Hokkaido | | |
| 1981 | Mika Moriwaki | 森脇 美香 | Okayama | Top 15 | |
| 1980 | Mayumi Kanbara | 蒲原 まゆみ | Osaka | | Miss Congeniality |
| 1979 | Hideko Haba | 羽場 秀子 | Tokyo | 4th runner-up | |
| 1978 | Atsuko Taguchi | 田口 淳子 | Akita | | |
| 1977 | Mieko Kojima | 小島 三恵子 | Saitama | | |
| 1976 | Kumie Nakamura | 中村 久美江 | Osaka | 4th runner-up | |
| 1975 | Sumiko Kumagai | 熊谷 澄子 | Tokyo | Top 15 | |
| 1974 | Hideko Shigekawa | 茂川 秀子 | Osaka | Top 15 | |
| 1973 | Miki Yaita | 矢板 美季 | Hokkaido | Top 15 | |
| 1972 | Yuko Tamehisa | 為久 優子 | Yamaguchi | Top 15 | |
| 1971 | Reiko Yoneyama | 米山 礼子 | Yamanashi | Top 15 | |
| 1970 | Toshie Suda | 須田 敏恵 | Yamanashi | 3rd Runner-up | |
| 1969 | Akemi Okemoto | 桶本 明美 | Hiroshima | Top 15 | |
| 1968 | Yoko Sunami | 砂見 葉子 | Fukuoka | Top 15 | |
| 1967 | Hiroko Sasaki | 佐々木 裕子 | Tokyo | Top 15 | |
| 1966 | cancellation | cancellation | cancellation | cancellation | cancellation |
| 1965 | Hiroko Fukushima | 福島 宏子 | Tokyo | | |
| 1964 | Naoko Matsui | 松井 尚子 | Fukuoka | Top 15 | |
| 1963 | Shizuko Shimizu | 清水 静子 | Tokyo | | |
| 1962 | Kaoru Maki | 牧 かほる | Tokyo | Top 15 | |
| 1961 | Atsuko Kyoto | 京藤 敦子 | Fukui | | |
| 1960 | Michiko Takagi | 高木 美智子 | Osaka | Top 15 | |

### Winners by prefectures

| Prefectures | Titles | Years |
| Tokyo | 16 | 1962, 1963, 1965, 1967, 1975, 1979, 1996, 1998, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2013, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2023 |
| Osaka | 10 | 1974, 1976, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1989, 1992, 1995, 2007, 2010 |
| Saitama | 4 | 1977, 1997, 2001, 2017 |
| Kanagawa | 3 | 1993, 2008, 2011 |
| Hokkaido | 3 | 1973, 1982, 2000 |
| Fukuoka | 3 | 1964, 1968, 2009 |
| Yamanashi | 3 | 1970, 1971, 1987 |
| Saga | 2 | 2012, 2022 |
| Fukui | 2 | 1961, 1988 |
| Yamaguchi | 2 | 1972, 1983 |
| Tochigi | 1 | 2020 |
| Iwate | 1 | 2016 |
| Chiba | 1 | 2015 |
| Ibaraki | 1 | 2004 |
| Kyoto | 1 | 2002 |
| Fukushima | 1 | 1999 |
| Aichi | 1 | 1994 |
| Ehime | 1 | 1991 |
| Hyōgo | 1 | 1990 |
| Shizuoka | 1 | 1986 |
| Okayama | 1 | 1981 |
| Akita | 1 | 1978 |
| Hiroshima | 1 | 1969 |

## Controversy

In 2013 edition, for the first time in history, the winner of Miss International 2012 Ikumi Yoshimatsu of Japan did not crown her successor; instead Miss International 2008 Alejandra Andreu took over in passing on the crown to Bea Santiago of the Philippines. This is also the first time when a past winner crowned two Miss Internationals, one in 2009 where she crowned her successor, Anagabriela Espinoza of Mexico.