University beauty pageants that used to choose the most attractive woman and man are starting to change amid growing criticism of lookism and gender-based stereotyping. There is now a growing movement to focus more on internal beauty and make such events gender-neutral.
However, there are also those who criticize ranking people according to their internal qualities. The search for a new style continues.
This school year, Meiji Gakuin University abolished the contests it used to hold separately for men and women. Until last year, women wore wedding dresses and men wore suits, and although some women emphasized their involvement in social activities, the voters tended to make their choice based on the contestants' appearance.
