Miss Japan is Miss Universe 2007

Miss Japan, Riyo Mori, 20 years-old, was crowned Miss Universe 2007 yesterday in a contest marked by protests, a banned dress and the withdrawal of one beauty queen on the ground the pageant degrades women. The first Japanese Miss Universe was Akiko Kojima, who was Miss Universe in 1959. The second Asian finalist was Honey Lee of Korea.

Other Asians Misses who made it as semifinalists were Puja Gupta of India and Farung Yuthithum of Thailand. Miss Brazil, Natalia Guimaraes came out on the second place and Miss Venezuela on the 3th place. Miss Thailand, Farung Yuthithu ended up on the 14th place.

During the evening gown parade, Miss USA, Rachel Smith, fall on the runway and landed on her bottom. As well as strutting in cocktail dresses and bikinis, the 77 contestants from nations ranging from Albania to Zambia traveled in Mexico in the lead-up to the event, visiting Mayan ruins and learning about endangered animals.

Mori Miss Japan, will spend her year-long reign traveling the world to speak out on humanitarian issues like poverty and disease. She enjoys visiting museums and watching musicals.

Miss Sweden, Isabel Lestapier Winqvist, unexpectedly pulled out of the event because of complaints in her country that it degrades women. Sweden has won the Miss Universe crown three times in the past.

Miss Mexico was made to change her outfit for the regional dress contest after her original dress, decorated with brutal images of rebels in a 1920s religious uprising being hanged or shot, drew accusations of poor taste.

In another quirk for 2007, the long, twisted dreadlocks of Miss Jamaica, the contest's first ever Rastafarian participant, and the close-shaved head of Miss Tanzania stood out from the lacquered manes of the other contestants.