HISTORY

History of Miss International

Road of Miss International Beauty Pageant

It has been 55 years since the first Miss International was held in Long Beach in 1960. Ever since, we welcomes over 70 beautiful goodwill ambassadors and has been contributing making international friendship and mutual understanding between nations.

2015: Second time to hold the pageant at Hiten

2014: First time to hold the pageant at Hiten.

2013: Contest location in Tokyo / first time in 6 years.

2012: Contest location in Okinawa/ first time in Japan after 5 years.

2011: Contest location for three consecutive years in Chengdu.

2010: Chengdu as the contest location once again.

2009: Chengdu, China, the first province city to hold the contest. It was carried out as part of the goodwill activities to support the area devastated by the Sichuan earthquake.

2008: First time in Macau. It was deployed on a grand scale, never seen before.

2006: The Beijing contest was held in collaboration with China, to celebrate the "Japan-China Tourism Exchange Year".

2005: An international exchange event called "Miss International Love-Earth Expo Gathering" was held in the same hall with the "Love-Earth Expo", organized 35 years after the Osaka World Exposition.

2004: That year's contest was the first to be hold outside the country, since the 1971 one in the U.S, and also the first in the contest's history to have the location in Beijing.

1999: On the 40th anniversary of the world contest, it also featured "The first Miss International Forum". The topic of the debate was "21st century's ideal woman" and it aimed at creating a connection between the participants, through exchanging opinions.

1997-1998: "Modern Japanese Glass Art" exposition in Kansas City, New York and Washington DC, by the pioneers of modern glass art in Japan, Iwata　Toshichi and Iwata Kuri.

1995-1996: "Modern Japan Ceramics Masters Exposition", held in Chicago and Detroit, by the most representative Japanese ceramics masters(living national treasure: Imaizumi Imaemon, Sakaida Kakiemon, Tokuda Yasokichi).

1995: "World Student Forum" in Japanese, celebrating the "Universiade in Fukuoka" We invited 26 students from all over the world, who study Japanese, to debate in Japanese on the topics "My Japan" and "Japan in the 21st century", and improve their understanding of Japan.

1993-1994: "Contemporary Japanese Ceramics Exposition" counting the best works of the 30 most representative Japanese ceramics masters, held in 6 great cities in the U.S., as a celebration of the donation to the Smithsonian Sackler Museum.

1991: The "Australian Green Leaves Delegation" (160 young people) are invited to visit their sister city in Japan. It was hoped to establish friendships among the young people by letting them interact with each other during homestays and on-the-job trainings.

1990: "Japanese Cultural Week in the former Soviet Union", to give an impulse to a new mutual understanding and friendly relations between Japan and the former Soviet Union. 300 people of 17 organizations sent to the performance of Saburo Kitajima, the Hanae Mori fashion show, and the Ikuo Hirayama artist exhibition.

1988-1989: The "Homecoming friendship dolls exhibition" held in 11 cities all over Japan, and the "American blue-eyed doll exhibition" held in 4 cities of the United States.
After 61 years, the Friendship Doll Japan had given the United States as a return present for the "Blue-eyed Doll" we had received from them as a token of peace and friendship in 1927, made a homecoming visit to Japan.

1988: As opening event for the Tokyo Dome, 14 organizations of 10 countries (about 1,000 people) held the "World Marching Band Festival".

1985-present: At the shore of Lake Charles in Boston, Massachusetts, a Japanese cherry tree is planted. It is a "symbol of friendship" that continues to show the good will of the Japanese people.

1985: 400 folk artist groups from Korea, Fiji, Italy, Mexico, Poland, Spain, the United States, the Soviet Union, and Japan are invited to perform at the "World Folklore Festival" of the Tsukuba EXPO'85.

1984-present: Along with the "Cultivate One Love Movement", the "One Love Fund" is established. The first round was meant to help the Africa food crisis relief.

1982: The Japanese Dance Group "Hanayagi Itoyuki Troupe" (11 people) give a friendship performance in front of the Swedish Queen Lilian and Princess Silvia.

1980: Miss Dance Drill Team USA (54 people) consisting mostly of high-school students are invited to give a friendship performances in Tokyo and Shizuoka. It was also held the following year, in '81.

1980: The "Brigham Young University International Folk Dance Ensemble" (36 people) from the U.S. are invited to give a friendship performances in Tokyo, Fuji Yoshida, Kashiwa, Yokohama, Shizuoka, and Kobe. Also held in '81, '83, and '89.

1979: Friendship performances by "Veracruz University folk dance company" (36 people) from Mexico in Tokyo, Yokohama, Funabashi, Nagoya, Kobe, Hiroshima, Yonago.

1978: Organization of "Hawaii youth folk art reception" Friendship performances from "Young Hawaiian group" (35 persons), from Hawaii, in Tokyo, Shizuoka, Osaka and Fukuoka.

1977: Organization of "South East Asia youth folk art reception".
Friendship performances by the youth folk art groups from Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, in Tokyo and Okinawa.

1976: "The beautiful Japanese Kimono Show" all over Europe, by the Yamano Aiko Kimono Culture Delegation.

1975: Changing the name to "International Cultural Association".

1974-1977: As a first overseas attempt, the organization of the "Paris Haute Couture Collection", in Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka, gathering all the collections by 1st class French designers, exhibited in Paris.

1970-1987: "Free Youth Square - Free bar" in front of the Meiji Jingu Gaien Museum.
In addition to providing young people all over the world to interact with each other, the Free Youth Square featured stage shows by 1st class entertainers, and presentations of folk arts from around the world, introducing a new form of international exchange.

1970: Organization of Miss International World Contest, at the Japan Osaka World Exposition Hall.

1969: "Japan Beauty Congress Association" receives the license from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and is inaugurated.

1968: First Miss International held in Japan, at Nippon Budokan.

1965: Japan sends the first representative to the Miss World competition, held in London, England.

1964: Japan sends a representative to the Miss International world competition, held in Long Beach, the U.S.

1963: "Beauty Congress of the World" is founded. Selection of the Japanese representative.

1960: Miss International began in Long Beach, California.