Kurara Chibana

• Name — Kurara Chibana • Title — Miss Universe Japan 2006 • Competitions — * Miss Universe Japan 2006 (Winner) • Miss Universe 2006 (1st Runner-Up) • (Best National Costume) • Born — 27 March 1982 • Birth Name — Kurara Chibana • Birthplace — Naha, Okinawa, Japan • Height — 5 feet 8 inches • Eye Color — Brown • Hair Color — Black • Education — Sophia University • Children — 2

Chibana participated in Miss Universe 2006 where she represented Japan. She won the Best National Costume Award for her samurai-themed outfit designed by the artist Yuichi Miyagawa and the designer Yoshiyuki Ogata, and was the first runner-up. During the final, Chibana wore a black evening gown exhibiting intricate latticework designed by Olivier Theyskens for Rochas, and at the preliminaries, Chibana sported a unique red and pink-hued gown with silver corseting designed by Novespazio.

Chibana was an educational-philosophy student at Sophia University. She got her Bachelor of Arts degree in 2006. She turned down a job offer from a publishing company in order to compete in the Miss Universe Japan pageant, which was held on April 25, 2006, in Tokyo. Kurara now works as a feature reporter, flying around the world to interview people for a leading fashion magazine in Japan. She writes and takes photos of their lifestyles. She speaks four languages: English, Spanish, French, and Japanese. Since October 2006, she has appeared regularly on the Nippon Television show "News Zero", reporting from both domestic and international locations, and launched her endorsement career as a spokesperson for more than four world-famous brands in 2007. She is the spokeswoman for Maybelline New York's Angelfit Make-Up. In late December, Global Beauties named Kurara as the Sexiest Woman Alive 2006, a title formerly held by Miyako Miyazaki. In December 2013, Chibana was elected as the Japanese Ambassador for United Nations World Food Program for her contributions to the organization as a celebrity partner. In October 2017, Chibana announced that she had married Ryuji Kamiyama. They have 2 daughters.