“A photographer lady won this year. She was gorgeous, you know…”

The beauty in question cruised through the shopping district in a convertible car as the winner of the “Miss Fuji” competition. This florid event began in 1953 and has seen many victors through the years.

Initially, the contest was conceived as a promotional event for the shopping district. Customers would receive voting tickets for every item they bought, then use them to vote on a contestant; one for your beloved, then another for your favorite, and yet another for that secret object of your affections...

Anyone and everyone could enter the contest, but in those days almost every contestant was endorsed by someone else. Winners were given a paulownia dresser - indispensable for those who wanted to marry in the future. It’s easy to imagine young girls looking at the beauty queens with envy, hoping to one day cruise around in that motorcade.