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.
Highlights
- Japan formally raised concerns after Finnish MPs posted slanted-eyes photos in protest of a pageant decision.
- Finland’s prime minister apologized as cultural and business projects in Japan were put on hold.
- The scandal began after Miss Finland Sarah Dzafce was stripped of her crown over the same gesture.
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.
The diplomatic fallout was immediate and severe, forcing Finland’s Prime Minister to apologize to not only Japan, but China and South Korea as well.
The diplomatic relations between Japan and Finland are under strain after members of the ruling party uploaded racist photos to social media
Image credits: sarahdzafce
Japan’s government confirmed on December 18 that it had raised the issue directly with Helsinki after the photos circulated.
Image credits: David Mareuil/Anadolu/Getty Images
“We have conveyed our concerns regarding this matter to the Finnish government and expressed our expectation for appropriate action,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told reporters.
“Japan will continue to maintain close communication with the Finnish government.”
Image credits: sarahdzafce
The individuals involved are all members of the right-wing Finns Party.
Two are sitting members of Finland’s parliament, while the third serves in the European Parliament. The Finns Party is one of four parties in the current ruling coalition and emerged as the country’s second-largest party in the 2023 general election.
Its leader, Riikka Purra, holds two of the most powerful posts in the government as deputy prime minister and finance minister, placing the controversy squarely at the highest levels of Finnish politics.
Image credits: Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto/Getty Images
Kihara’s remarks came one day after Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo issued a formal apology following a surge of criticism on Japanese social media.
The apology, written in Japanese, was posted by the Embassy of Finland in Tokyo on X.
Image credits: sarahdzafce
In his message, Orpo expressed sincere regret and stressed that the offensive posts did not reflect Finland’s values.
He pointed to the long-standing relationship between the two countries, stating that Finland and Japan have built a strong partnership over many years, grounded in equality and inclusion.
Some collaborations and projects have already been impacted by the diplomatic fallout of the offensive gesture
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Image credits: sarahdzafce
The diplomatic fallout has already begun to affect Finland’s cultural and business interests in Japan.
Finland’s public broadcaster YLE reported that a Finnish production company has postponed announcing a new project in Japan as a direct result of the controversy.
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The company is currently co-producing a drama series with a Japanese partner. Announced in January, the series is set to star Japanese actress An Watanabe alongside Finnish actor Jasper Paakkonen and is scheduled for release next year.
According to the series’ producer, etiquette is highly valued in Japan and trust is not granted quickly. Instead, it is built gradually, “by adding multiple layers,” making reputational damage particularly difficult to repair once it occurs.
Image credits: Juho Eerola/Facebook
On the other hand, one of the offending members of parliament, Juho Eerola, apologized profusely for his actions, saying the was “deeply sorry” for the offense his photo caused to Asian people, and said he was prepared to apologize as many times as necessary.
Image credits: Juho Eerola/Facebook
At the same time, he explained to The Asahi Shimbun, that his intent was to defend the former pageant winner because he felt stripping her crown was a “disproportionately harsh punishment.”
The former Miss Finland apologized and accepted the measure without protest, handing her crown to her runner-up
Image credits: ETimes
It all began when Miss Finland 2025 Sarah Dzafce was stripped of her national title over a photo shared on social media.
Dzafce had represented Finland at the Miss Universe pageant in Thailand, where she lost to Miss Mexico Fátima Bosch. Shortly after returning to Europe, an image of her pulling the corners of her eyes outward began circulating online.
As Bored Panda previously reported, on December 11, the Miss Finland organization announced that her title had been revoked.
“The title of Miss Finland held by Sarah Dzafce has been revoked as of today,” the organization said.
“This decision is not about a person’s human worth, but about responsibility. When an individual carries a national and international representative role, actions and responsibility are inseparable.”
Image credits: sarahdzafce
Days earlier, Dzafce issued a public apology.
“I fully understand that my actions have caused ill will in many people and I am deeply sorry for that,” she wrote. “I want to apologize especially to those who have been personally affected by this situation. That was not my intention in any way.”
Miss Finland CEO Sunneva Sjögrén later confirmed that the conditions required to fulfill the role were no longer met.
“This decision is not a judgment of Sarah’s worth as a person,” she said. “Growth and learning remain possible, and we sincerely wish her well as she moves forward.”
Dzafce’s runner-up, Tara Lehtonen, was subsequently crowned Miss Finland 2025, saying she would carry the title “with pride and deep respect.”
"Acting silly." Some netizens believe the fallout over the gesture is overblown
