Miss Universe Japan 2010 Maiko Itai

More proof, if any were needed, that:

-There are beautiful women

-There are beauty pageant winners

-These two groups are mutually exclusive

I’m not too stoked on this year’s Miss Japan compared to last year’s.

I mean, when you look at the two, Emiri is in my opinion much more beautiful in terms of face. In fact I think Emiri is one of the most beautiful Miss Japan’s in recent years (outside of Kurara Chibana). She had an extremely disappointing showing last year, which many still do not have an explanation for (all I can think is that she didn’t show much confidence when she walked the runway in her swimsuit/dress).

This year, though, Maiko may have a shot at the top finalists as no asian contestant made it even that far last year.

This year’s national costume is much more classy, and I wish Maiko the best in the competition. Last year’s national costume certainly got attention, but in a provocative and sleazy way, which may have created unnecessary distraction and negative impact on Emiri’s overall performance.

I’m not a huge fan of the costume, though I like it more than her evening gown.

http://cdn.missuniverse.com/media/photos/galleries/photo_cron_1_47_2_2010.jpg

I mean, it reminds me of an Ariel (from “The Little Mermaid”) Halloween costume my neighbor wore every year when we trick-or-treated together when we were kids…