Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on July 2010

When Maiko Itai’s name was called out as 2010 Miss Universe Japan in March, a roar erupted from the audience—40 of her friends had turned up to wish the 25-year-old well on the big night. “Actually, I didn’t say anything to them about the contest until I was a finalist,” says Itai, sitting down for a chat in the offices of Miss Universe Japan in Omotesando. “When I heard my friends yelling my name, that’s when I knew I wanted to stand on the world stage.”

Born in Oita Prefecture, the 173cm-tall former civil servant says she never dreamed she’d enter a beauty contest. “I didn’t have much interest in fashion. I really liked animals, and wanted to become a vet. I was also interested in foreign countries, so I decided to learn foreign languages. I had studied English at school and later at Sophia University in Tokyo. I studied Portuguese for five years because of the historical relationship between Oita and Portugal, and that included a year in Portugal.”

After graduating, she worked in Tokyo for a year before returning to Oita, where she got a job at the local ward office last year. That’s when she decided to apply for the Miss Universe Japan contest. “I’ve always been interested in expressing my personality, and I thought Miss Universe would be an ideal opportunity. My mother encouraged me to go forward. She said to me: ‘Don’t be scared to take risks.’”

Itai, who beat out nearly 4,000 contestants to take the Japan crown, says she’s been busy preparing for the Miss Universe finals on August 23 in Las Vegas. That includes taking English lessons and learning how to walk and present herself, in addition to getting beauty and nutritional tips. “I still feel like I don’t have enough self-confidence,” she admits.

Like her predecessors in the Miss Universe Japan contest, Itai is aware that when she goes abroad, she’ll be seen as the face of modern Japanese women. “Well, to be honest, I am more of a traditional Japanese woman, but I think that Japanese women are warmhearted and have a powerful core. It is difficult to show this kindness or core, but that’s what I hope to express in the final.”

She will also be called upon to take part in activities for charities, and says that children’s issues are closest to her heart. “That’s probably because my mother is a kindergarten teacher. I know there are kids overseas who are not as fortunate as the children in Japan, and I want to help them. Up until now, I haven’t seen their plight, other than on TV or in magazine stories. Miss Universe will give me an opportunity to experience the real world.”

Women who’ve been looking to Itai for style pointers may be dismayed to hear that her trademark bangs will disappear for the final. “Right now, they come down over my nose,” she says with a laugh. “For the national contest, that style was useful because I wanted to make an impact. But at the final, I’ll be there for three weeks and I need a more flexible hairstyle.” Her fashion style has changed dramatically, too. “Previously, it was very simple—I never really thought how to use fashion to express my personality. Now, it is a 180-degree turn and very stimulating, though I prefer casual clothes.”

When she gets some rare downtime, Itai says she enjoys cooking. “When I was at home in Oita, I was in charge of meals and loved being in the kitchen.”

She also tries to spend a bit of time each night updating her blog. “I’m still an analog person and never thought blogs were so important,” she confesses. “I was so surprised to receive comments from fans, and the responses I get instantly from people of all ages. Most of them want to know what I eat, what I wear, how I exercise, and so on.”

No doubt, Itai now has a lot of male fans too. So what type of guy does she like? “Somebody who is exciting and has the same sense of humor as me,” she says.

Itai blogs at www.missuniversejapan.com/2010/blogs/itaimaiko. Chris Betros is the editor of Japan Today (www.japantoday.com)