Congratulations To Ariana Miyamoto, The Japanese Half (Hafu) Beauty Queen --- Towards A More Open Japan?

Congratulations To Ariana Miyamoto, The Japanese Half (Hafu) Beauty Queen --- Towards A More Open Japan? This column focuses on issues of Asian regional and global political economy. Writing about a beauty queen therefore may seem odd. However the winner of this year’s Miss Japan contest, Ariana Miyamoto (see picture below), is no ordinary beauty queen. The twenty-year old Ariana was born in Nagasaki to a Japanese mother and an African-American father. She is what Japanese today refer to as hafu (or haafu), derived from the English word “half”. It applies to all children with one Japanese and one non-Japanese parent. In Brazil, where many hafus live, the older term ainoko tends to be used, indigenized to ainaca (f) and ainocô (m). Ariana’s victory has caused considerable controversy in Japan and great buzzes in printed and social media. Stalwart unreconstructed racists watch with great apprehension as she prepares to “represent” Japan at the Miss Universe contest next January: "she's not a real Japanese", they clamor. I think it’s fantastic news.