The first ever mixed race Miss Japan has been forced to defend herself against accusations that she 'is n't Japanese enough ' because her father is African-American . Ariana Miyamoto was born and raised in Nagasaki , speaks fluent Japanese , and has been chosen to represent Japan in the Miss Universe pageant . But the 20-year-old beauty queen used her first television appearance after her selection to apologetically explain to reporters that while she does n't 'look Japanese ' on the outside , on the inside , there are 'many Japanese things about her ' . Ariana Miyamoto was born and raised in Nagasaki , speaks fluent Japanese , and has been selected to represent Japan in the Miss Universe pageant . But she has been forced to defend herself against accusations that she 'is n't Japanese enough ' because her father is African-American . She has faced a storm of criticism that she is 'not Japanese enough ' to represent the country because although her mother is Japanese , her father is American . In Japan , Miyamoto is called a 'hafu ' , a Japanese term used to refer to someone who is biracial . There is a feeling in the country , one of the least ethnically diverse in the world , that mixed-race people are not fully Japanese . Website Byokan Sunday and Naver Matome report that Twitter users have posted comments such as : 'Is it okay to select a hafu to represent Japan ? ' and 'Because this is Miss Universe Japan , do n't you think hafu are a no-no ? ' In Japan , Miyamoto is called a 'hafu ' , a Japanese term used to refer to someone who is biracial . Others commented that she did n't 'look Japanese ' , her face was 'too gaijin ' , meaning literally 'outside person ' , or that the country deserved a 'pure-blooded Japanese ' beauty . Elsewhere online , one person commented , 'It makes me uncomfortable to say she 's representing Japan . ' Miyamoto , grew up in Japan in Sasebo , Nagasaki , close to a major American naval base , but later moved to the United States for high school , . When she returned home to Japan , after a part-time bartending job , she decided to become a model and try her hand at pageantry - not expecting to get far due to her 'foreigner look ' . Her selection as the first-ever biracial Miss Universe Japan comes at a time when Japanese attitudes about race are beginning to change , NBC reports . The vast majority of Japan is made up of homogeneous people . Miyamoto , grew up in Japan in Sasebo , Nagasaki , the location of a major American naval base , but later moved to the United States for high school . Miyamoto is aware of the struggles she faces as a 'hafu ' beauty queen representing Japan . It is one of the least ethnically diverse countries on earth , proudly counting more than 98 percent of the population as Japanese nationals . It is one of the least ethnically diverse countries on earth , proudly counting more than 98 percent of the population as Japanese nationals . Megumi Nishikura , whose film , Hafu : The Mixed-Race Experience in Japan , looks at the lives of multiracial Japanese citizens , highlights the fact that 20,000 half-Japanese people , including both multiethnic and multiracial people , are born in Japan each year . Nishikura told NBC that Miyamoto 's selection as Miss Universe Japan 'is a huge step forward in expanding the definition of what it means to be Japanese . The controversy that has erupted over her selection is a great opportunity for us Japanese to examine how far we have come from our self-perpetuated myth of homogeneity while at the same time it shows us how much further we have to go ' . Miyamoto is aware of the struggles she faces as a 'hafu ' beauty queen representing Japan . In interviews she has called Mariah Carey a major inspiration because of ther multiracial background , according to RocketNews24 . 'She went through a lot of difficulties before becoming a popular singing sensation , ' Miyamoto said . 'She faced some racial hurdles , similar to myself , but she overcame them and became a top star , so she 's been a big influence on me . '
Ariana Miyamoto was born and raised in Nagasaki , and is fluent Japanese . Mixed race beauty queen born to American father and Japanese mother . She has been selected to represent Japan in the Miss Universe pageant . Comment: 20-year-old has been forced to insist that she is 'Japanese on the inside '