…Ms Chibana is an absolute babe! Not to take away from ms puerto rico, who is pretty as well, but in my opinion the judges were biased against ms japan…

Well, at least it’s not that way this year! :-)

http://doiop.com/Japan_wins_MissUniverse2007

People only wanted to Japan to win because she can speak four langauges.

That does not make u intelligent
I did not find her pretty, and her body looked nasty

I’m glad Ms. Puerto Rico won!
Go gurl

Behind the Paper Screen / Japanese beauty fit for global consumption
The Daily Yomiuri / Aug 16, 2006

…..Globalized beauty is beauty that cannot be pinned on the map, that cannot be traced to a single racial or ethnic origin. It is no coincidence that Latin America has been so heavily represented in Miss Universe in recent years, where racial and cultural mixing has taken place for generations. Kurara-san’s good looks–she is tall, leggy, dark-haired and olive-skinned–fit perfectly with this new standard of globalized beauty.
The visual impact of the group shot of 10 finalists speaks more eloquently than a thousand words; Kurara-san blends in so perfectly with this group dominated by mestiza (mixed) Latinas that you have to look closely to be able to tell which lady is Japanese.
One question remains: Why did Japanese contestants not do well at Miss Universe contests from the 1960s to the 1990s? During these decades, Japan emerged and peaked as the modern economic power, and the predominant image of Japan during this period was once again that of aggressive–and aesthetically not so pleasing–masculinity, as represented in a cutthroat Japanese businessmen in drab business suits and bad haircuts.
As the exoticized feminine image of geishas faded in the Western mind, Japanese contestants who continued to represent traditional Japanese beauty lost their edge in the worldwide competition.
If Kurara-san’s success in this year’s Miss Universe contest was based on her polished, globalized self-presentation, there is another important, perhaps critical, aspect of her globalized appeal: her clever take on the anime-esque aesthetics that originated in Japanese pop culture and have become a popular trend around the world….

Kurara national costume
2006.06.30(Fri) National director for Miss Universe in Japan’s blog
…The most important thing about the design was that it should not detract from a woman’s femininity. In fact, the hard iron of the armor upon soft skin should accentuate and even emphasize female sensuality. The theme of the costume is “Sensuality which springs from strength and dignity”Just like the traditional armor, steel was used in its construction, and thick cotton fabric was used on the forearms and shins to give a sporty look. The chain mail thigh guards are made from fishnet stockings, boldly expressing the eroticism of modern Japanese city women.
Taking into account the concept of Miss Universe, it can be said that this costume is an object of brutality that defies history and tradition. However, it cannot be denied that it expresses the strength and beauty of women today….

http://www.missuniverse.com/delegates/2006/files/JP-video-costume.html