Japan has formally confronted Finland after a series of racist gestures by members of the ruling party triggered backlash across Asia, escalating an issue that has already cost a national beauty queen her crown into a diplomatic conflict between the two countries.
On December 11, Sarah Dzafce, who represented Finland at the 2025 Miss Universe pageant, was stripped of her title after she shared a photo of herself pulling the corners of her eyes outward with her fingers.
As a response, three parliament members of the Finns Party, a right-wing populist political party and part of the ruling coalition, uploaded similar images to protest the decision.
