is a

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

model and beauty queen who was crowned

Miss Universe 1959 Miss Universe 1959, the 8th Miss Universe pageant, was held on 24 July 1959 at Long Beach Municipal Auditorium in Long Beach, California, United States. 34 contestants competed and in the end Akiko Kojima of Japan won the competition, becoming the ...

, making her the first Japanese and Asian woman to win the title.

Biography

Kojima was a 22-year-old model from

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.46 ...

, Japan when she bested four other finalists from Norway, the US, England, and Brazil for the 1959 Miss Universe crown in

Long Beach, California Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...

. At 5 ft 6 in (167.6 cm), Akiko measured 37–23–38 inches (94.0–58.4–96.5 cm). She denied press reports on having undergone breast surgery.''Associated Press''. August 13, 1959. (see back side of :File:Akiko Kojima 1959.jpg) A year later in 1960, Akiko crowned her successor, Miss Universe 1960,

Linda Bement Linda Jeanne Bement (November 2, 1941 – March 19, 2018) was an American model and beauty queen who became the third Miss USA to be crowned Miss Universe. She died of natural causes on March 19, 2018, at her home in Salt Lake City. Miss Univers ...

from the United States. In 1966, Kojima was married to Japanese actor

Akira Takarada was a Japanese film actor best known for his roles in the ''Godzilla'' film series. Life and career Akira Takarada was born in Korea under Japanese rule, and lived for a time in Manchuria, China. His father worked as an engineer on the S ...

, who rose to fame in the Toho movie studios doing the

Godzilla is a fictional monster, or '' kaiju'', originating from a series of Japanese films. The character first appeared in the 1954 film '' Godzilla'' and became a worldwide pop culture icon, appearing in various media, including 32 films produ ...

movies since 1954. Kojima settled into a quiet married life. They later had a daughter, Michiru Kojima, in 1967. They divorced in 1984 and Kojima left with their daughter. Forty eight years later after her reign, another Japanese national,

Riyo Mori (born December 24, 1986) is a Japanese actress, dancer, model and beauty queen who was crowned Miss Universe 2007 in Mexico City. Personal life An only child, Riyo Mori began dancing at the age of 4. She has studied at Quinte Ballet School of ...

, won the Miss Universe pageant in 2007.

References

1936 births Japanese beauty pageant winners Japanese female models Living people Miss Universe 1959 contestants Miss Universe winners {{Japan-bio-stub