Yukari Kuzuya

Who is Yukari Kuzuya?

Yukari Kuzuya is a professional model from Ichinomiya, Aichi Prefecture in Japan. She was notable for winning the title of Miss Universe Japan 2005 in Tokyo, and her following participation in the Miss Universe pageant held in Bangkok, Thailand.

During the pageant weeks in Bangkok, she was one of the favourites cited by pageant fans to be named as one of the top 15 semifinalists, so it came as a shock to many when she failed to make the first cut.

Fans speculated that the exclusion was attributed by her 'streetwear' styled gown which cost her a place in the semifinal. One of the pageant sites, despite including her as one of their predicted semifinalists, labeled her gown as 'outrageous'.

She even grew taller after the pageant and is now 1.83 meters tall, making her the tallest Japanese candidate in the pageant's history.