( CNN ) -- Riyo Mori is a classically trained ballet dancer who won the 2007 Miss Universe beauty pageant . She talks to CNN about Tokyo , dancing and baseball . Trained ballet dancer Riyo Mori was crowned Miss Universe in 2007 . CNN : What made you decide to enter the Miss Universe competition ? Riyo Mori : My Grandmother . Japan , 50 or 60 years ago , was very conservative . Women had to stand behind men and never talk , never give an opinion -- and my grandma was different . I love her so much . She found out that there was Miss Universe Japan and that 's how everything started . She said , `` Riyo , you 're young , you can dance , you can teach dancing , you love it , it 's good -- but maybe you should see a different world . Just go for it . '' And I said , 'OK ' and now I 'm here . CNN : What 's it like for you to be back in Shizuoka ? Riyo Mori : It 's so nice to be back home . I can relax , I can sleep . This is my first vacation , I think -- just having fun with my family , my friends , and talking to my friend in a café . That was my normal life before and since I became Miss Universe it suddenly stopped . I always have to be in the mood , and I have to be Miss Universe , so this is just perfect for me to be in my hometown of Shizuoka . CNN : How would you describe your relationship with Tokyo ? Riyo Mori : I love Tokyo , like I love New York ; I love big cities . The first time I came to Tokyo was even before becoming a finalist for Miss Universe Japan . I was so excited . Also I was scared too , because people look so fashionable and people look so confident here and I was just a tourist from the countryside . I was very nervous . People from all over the world come to see Tokyo , and so that 's why you can see very unique people here . People speak Spanish , French , German , English , and Japanese ; there 's a very mixed culture here . CNN : How would you define Tokyoites ? Riyo Mori : I feel like people are so energetic here , so different from Shizuoka . People keep moving -- they never stop . Tokyo never sleeps . Tokyo people are so busy all the time . I would n't say they are cold , they 're just busy ; they do n't have time to talk to others . I need a balance , I have to be in Shizuoka for maybe 50 percent of the year and I have to be in Tokyo too , because I need this energy . CNN : How did you become a dancer ? Riyo Mori : I started to learn dance in mother 's dance school . My mom is my best friend , of course , my mother and teacher . So we have very unique relationship . We are not just mom and daughter , we 're also teacher and student . My mom teaches jazz dance , tap dance , modern dance , but she does n't teach ballet . I thought I should learn how to teach ballet , so I can have different class than she has . So I went to Canada when I was 16 . I went to high school and professional ballet school in Canada . It was very , very tough , but it was worth it now that I can teach ballet . Now I want to teach young people , through dancing , how to be positive , patient and happy . These three things are very important to me . Dancing means a lot to me , because dancing is my life , part of my life . I have been dancing for a long time -- maybe 17 years . Dancing is great because this is how I express myself ; this is where I learned how to be confident . CNN : What was your mum 's reaction to you winning Miss Universe ? Riyo Mori : She was very happy when I won Miss Universe -- 'my daughter can travel the world and see people ' -- see the culture that she could n't . So she was very happy . CNN : Outside dancing , what else do you enjoy ? Riyo Mori : I 'm a huge fan of baseball . Baseball fans here in Japan are very supportive and crazy . They can go crazy too , but that 's a good part of Japanese people -- if you like something , you 're very into it and support it . CNN : What else do you love about the city ? Riyo Mori : I think Tokyo is the best place to shop . Ginza is a great place and I like the atmosphere too . When I became finalist for Miss Universe Japan , almost every week I went to Harajuko to shop . Also , this is very close to Miss Universe Japan 's office , so I was back and forwards to the office almost all the time . Maybe you have heard about Harajuku girl ; there is a very famous street in Harajuku -- Takeshita-Dori -- and here you can find very crazy people , who dress up like dolls . There 's a very crazy , unique fashion code -- that 's why people like it .
Riyo Mori says her grandmother convinced her to enter Miss Universe . She was the first Japanese woman ever to win a beauty pageant in Japan and is now an ambassador for the pageant. She wants to teach young people to be patient and happy , through dancing . Tokyo is a great place to shop -- especially Ginza and Harajuko , she says .