Here’s why this ‘Miss Japan’ listens to Hindi music and loves watching Bollywood films

There’s a reason this Miss Japan listens to Hindi music, loves watching Bollywood films, and speaks Bengali too. Well, its because, she’s half Japanese and half-Indian.

Bollywood films have a fan following around the world, including Japan; several Indian films have also been shot in Japan.

But Priyanka Yoshikawa (Miss Japan 2016) loves everything about India because she was born to a Bengali father and Japanese mother.

Priyanka was recently crowned Miss Japan 2016 recently and will be representing Japan at Miss World crown in Washington this November.

However, not all Japanese were excited (going by the response on social media) about a “haafu” (Japanese for half, used to describe mixed race) becoming Miss Japan. Last year, Ariana Miyamoto also faced an ugly backlash for becoming the first black woman to represent Japan.

However, Priyanka seems unperturbed with such responses.

“When I’m abroad, people never ask me what mix I am. As Miss Japan, hopefully I can help change perceptions so that it can be the same here too. The number of people with mixed race is only going to increase, so people have to accept it,” says Priyanka Yoshikawa.

Coming back to her Indian connection, Priyanka has a house in Kolkata (she spent a year in India as a child), listens to Hindi songs, and is a fan of Bollywood films. She also speaks Bengali, and so does her Japanese mother.

“Bollywood is a big industry. It has the best actors in the world. I’ll be honoured to star in an Indian film. I’m a big fan of Varun Dhawan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Priyanka Chopra,” says Yoshikawa.

We’re sure Indian filmmakers will be keeping an eye on her. And going by the number of foreigners who’re working in Bollywood, Priyanka Yoshikawa should definitely get the opportunity to act in a Bollywood film.

Also read: Top foreign actresses in Bollywood.