Akiko Kojima

The native form of this personal name is Kojima Akiko. This article uses Western name order when mentioning individuals.

Akiko Kojima
児島 明子
Kojima in 1959
Born	(1936-10-29) October 29, 1936 Tokyo, Japan
Height	1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
Spouse	Akira Takarada ​ ​ (m. 1966; div. 1984)​
Children	Michiru Kojima (daughter)
Beauty pageant titleholder
Title	Miss Japan 1959 Miss Universe 1959
Hair color	black
Eye color	brown
Major competition(s)	Miss Japan 1959 (Winner) Miss Universe 1959 (Winner)

Akiko Kojima (児島 明子, Kojima Akiko, born October 29, 1936) is a Japanese model and beauty queen. She was crowned Miss Universe 1959, making her the first Japanese and Asian woman to win the title.

Biography

Kojima was a 22-year-old model from Tokyo, Japan when she won over four other finalists from Norway, the U.S., England, and Brazil for the 1959 Miss Universe crown in Long Beach, California. At 5 ft 6 in (167.6 cm), Akiko measured 37–23–38 inches (94.0–58.4–96.5 cm). She denied press reports on having undergone breast surgery. A year later, Akiko crowned Linda Bement from the United States in 1960.

In 1966, Kojima was married to Japanese actor Akira Takarada, who rose to fame in the Toho movie studios doing the Godzilla movies since 1954. Kojima settled into a quiet married life. They later had a daughter, Michiru Kojima, in 1967. They divorced in 1984, and Kojima left with their daughter.

Forty eight years later after her reign, Japanese Riyo Mori won the Miss Universe pageant in 2007.