Japan through the years of Miss Universe

Akiko Kojima Miss Universe 1959

Japan’s representative to Miss Universe was one to watch every year it’s beauty was different to other delegates from all over the world their exemplifies the true beauty of Asia. They have produced 2 Miss Universe’s namely Akiko Kojima who won Miss Universe 1959 and Riyo Mori who won Miss Universe in 2007.

They have been placed for three consecutive years from 1957 to 1959 and placed for four consecutive years from 1970 to 1973. They were absent for two years since the inauguration of Miss Universe in 1952 in 1996 and 1997.

Miss Universe Japan never stop there, they return in 1998 but did not placed in 2003 Miyako Miyazaka was one of the favorite to win the coveted title and was placed Fourth Runner Up three years later Kurara Chibana placed First Runner Up and the following year the second Miss Universe from Japan crowned in Auditorio Nacional, Mexico City, Mexico. The last time they were placed was 2008 when Hiroko Mima placed in the Top 15 Semi Finalist.

Miss Universe not onl produced 2 Miss Universe but also produced 2 Four Runner Up, 2 Third Runner Up, 1 Second Runner Up and 1 First Runner Up with a total of 16 placement all in all.

Zuleyka Rivera of Puerto Rico (Miss Universe 2006)
 passing the crown to Riyo Mori  of Japan (Miss Universe 2007)
in Auditorio Nacional, Mexico City, Mexico

Japan’s Representative to Miss Universe

YEAR	NAME	PLACEMENT	AWARDS
1952	Himeko Kojima
1953	Kinuko Ito	Second Runner Up
1954	Mieko Kondo
1955	Keiko Takahashi	Fourth Runner Up
1956	Yoshie Baba
1957	Kyoko Otani	Top 15 Semi Finalist
1958	Tomoko Moritake	Top 15 Semi Finalist	Miss Congeniality
1959	Akiko Kojima	Miss Universe 1959
1960	Yayoi Foruno
1961	Akemi Toyama
1962	Kasuko Hirano
1963	Noriko Ando	Top 15 Semi Finalist
1964	Shizuko Matsumoto
1965	Mari Katayama
1966	Atsumi Ikeno
1967	Kayoko Fujikawa
1968	Yasuyo Iino		Miss Congeniality
1969	Kikuyo Osuka
1970	Jun Shimada	Third Runner Up
1971	Shigeko Taketomi	Top 12 Semi Finalist
1972	Harumi Maeda	Top 12 Semi Finalist
1973	Miyoko Sometani	Top 12 Semi Finalist
1974	Eriko Tsuboi
1975	Sachiko Nakayama	Top 12 Semi Finalist
1976	Miyako Iwakuni
1977	Kyoko Sato
1978	Hisako Manda
1979	Yurika Kuroda		Miss Congeniality
1980	Hisae Hiyama
1981	Mineko Orisaku
1982	Eri Okuwaki
1983	Yuko Yamaguchi
1984	Mayumi Niiyama
1985	Hatsumi Furosawa
1986	Hiroko Esaki
1987	Hiroe Namba
1988	Mizuho Sakaguchi	Third Runner Up
1989	Eri Tashiro
1990	Hiroko Miyoshi
1991	Atsuko Yamamoto
1992	Akiko Ando
1993	Yukiko Shiki
1994	Chiaki Kawahito
1995	Narumi Saeki
1996
1997
1998	Nana Okumura
1999	Satomi Ogawa
2000	Mayu Endo
2001	Misao Arauchi
2002	Mina Chiba
2003	Miyako Miyazaki	Fourth Runner Up
2004	Eri Machimoto
2005	Yukari Kuzuya
2006	Kurara Chibana	First Runner Up	Best In National Costume
2007	Riyo Mori	Miss Universe 2007
2008	Hiroko Mima	Top 15 Semi Finalist
2009	Emiri Miyasaka
2010	Maiko Itai
2011	Maria Kamiyama
2012	Ayako Hara
2013	Yukimi Matsuo	TBA	TBA

Miss Universe: Akiko Kojima (Miss Universe 1959) Riyo Mori (Miss Universe 2007)

Last Placement: Hiroko Mima (2008)