Miss Japan admits dating married man, relinquishes crown

The official website of the Miss Japan contest on Feb. 5 updated information that Ukrainian-born model Carolina Shiino had given up the beauty title she grabbed late January.

Miss Japan Carolina Shiino. Photo from her Instagram

The contest organizer wrote in Japanese: "Carolina Shiino, winner of the Miss Japan Grand Prix, refused the award due to personal circumstances. The Miss Japan Association accepted this and the 2024 Grand Prix title will be left blank."

Shiino’s management company said she admitted dating the married man and apologized to his wife Maeda Takumo for ruining their family happiness.

Previously, Shiino was photographed on an intimate date with a man who was later confirmed to be a cosmetic doctor.

At first, the two only interacted as friends, but then "the relationship became closer and closer," Japanese weekly Shukan Bunshun reported.

Shiino also invited the man to her house. When the incident caused a stir, the two gave an interview to the weekly, denying their relationship.

The man said there was no physical relationship, while the beauty queen said she did not know that Takumo was not divorced yet.

Recently the beauty queen admitted she falsified her initial statement because she was afraid of public opinion.

Takumo, 45, often posts photos showing off his body and muscles on social networks. The 1.81-meter tall man, who has 15,000 fans on Instagram, has published books about his personal experiences and signed a contract with an entertainment company.

Shiino has lived in Japan since moving there at age 5. She became a naturalized citizen in 2022. Carolina says she has as strong a sense of Japanese identity as anyone else, despite her non-Japanese look, AP reported last month when she was crowned Miss Japan.