User:Mauriziok/Miss International

Miss International (Miss International Beauty or The International Beauty Pageant) is a Japan-based international beauty pageant organized by the International Culture Association. First held in 1960, it is the fourth largest pageant in the world in terms of the number of national winners participating in the international contest.

Along with Miss World, Miss Universe, and Miss Earth, the pageant is one of the Big Four international beauty pageants. The Miss International Organization and the brand are currently owned (since 1968), along with Miss International Japan, by the International Cultural Association and Miss Paris Group. The pageant crown used by the organization is supplied and patented by the Mikimoto pearl company.

The current Miss International is Sireethorn Leearamwat of Thailand, who was crowned at the Miss International 2019 pageant on 12 November 2019 in Tokyo, Kantō, Japan.

In 2020 and again in 2021, the pageant was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

History
The pageant was created in Long Beach, California, United States in 1960, after the departure of the Miss Universe pageant to Miami Beach. Hosted in Long Beach until 1967, the pageant moved to Japan from 1968 to 1970, being hosted each year in the same city as the Expo '70. For 1971, it was held in Long Beach again, but since that time it had been held annually in Japan until 2003. Since 2004, it is held in China or Japan. The first winner of the pageant in 1960 was Stella Araneta of Colombia.

Since then, Japan became the host country and the pageant has mostly been held in Japan, around autumn season either in October or November. The pageant is also called "Miss International Beauty". The pageant advocacy is to achieve a world where women can live with positivity, inner strength and individuality. The slogan of Miss International is to "correct understanding of Japan in the international community" and "the realization of world peace through mutual understanding".

The winner of Miss International 2012, Ikumi Yoshimatsu of Japan, was stripped of her crown and was not able to crown her successor due to conflict with a talent agency that threatened her safety and the pageant night itself;  instead Miss International 2008, Alejandra Andreu, crowned Bea Santiago of the Philippines. She was the first titleholder of the pageant from Japan to be dethroned shortly before the end of her reign. The organization was criticized for allegedly asking Yoshimatsu to skip the succession ceremony and "play sick and shut up" in order to avoid a scandal with a Japanese production company whose president was allegedly harassing her.

Crowns

 * Mikimoto Crown (1970–1998; 2015–present) –  This crown was designed by Tomohiro Yamaji for the Mikimoto Company, the official jewel sponsor of the Miss International Organization. It contains 575.31 grams of 14k and 18k gold, 650 South Sea and Akoya pearls, ranging in size from 3 to 18 mm diameter and is valued at US$350,000. The crown was designed for the pageant on Mikimoto Pearl Island in Japan with the Mikimoto crown and tiara being first used for Miss International 2013, which was unveiled by the president of Miss International, Akemi Shimomura.  The crown was again used when Valerie Hernandez of Puerto Rico crowned Edymar Martinez of Venezuela as Miss International 2015.
 * Pearl Crown (1999–2005; 2007–2014) – This crown was used from 1999–2005; 2007–2014. Same as the current Mikimoto crown, this crown was designed by Tomohiro Yamaji for the Mikimoto Company. The crown has a symbolic design with a couple of horses and 530 South Sea and Akoya pearls. It was retired after Valerie Hernandez of Puerto Rico used the crown in 2015.
 * Crystal Crown (2006) – also known as Maki Diamond tiara, this crown was used when Daniela di Giacomo of Venezuela was crowned Miss International 2006. She was the only Miss International titleholder to wear this crown. The crown was valued at US$150,000, was made of an 18 karat combination of white and yellow gold and composed of over 1,000 precious stones.