A recent report by BBC revealed that Karolina Shiino, the Ukraine-born winner of the Miss Japan contest held last month, has voluntarily renounced her title following controversy surrounding her relationship with a married man named Takuma Maeda. The 26-year-old model, who was raised in Japan after being born in Ukraine, faced scrutiny and debate regarding her eligibility for the Miss Japan title due to her non-Japanese heritage.
The controversy deepened when Shukan Bunshun, a weekly magazine, published an article disclosing Shiino’s romantic involvement with Takuma Maeda, identified as a married influencer and doctor. Initially, the pageant organizers defended Shiino, asserting that she was unaware of Maeda’s marital status. However, subsequent revelations contradicted this defense, indicating that Shiino had knowingly pursued a relationship with Maeda despite being aware of his marriage. She later apologized for misrepresenting the situation to the organizers.
According to reports from Japan Times, Shiino’s modeling agency, Free Wave, stated that initially, Maeda had claimed to be single. However, Shiino chose to continue the relationship even after learning about his marital status, leading to further controversy and her eventual decision to relinquish her Miss Japan title.
