Displaying her svelte body in a sparkling pink dress, a 66-year-old grandmother strutted confidently in 16-centimeter high heels in a competition normally reserved for contestants one-third of her age.

Although her walk under the spotlight lasted for less than a minute, Junko Sakai said: “I was the star. It was my moment.”

Sakai, the oldest contestant ever to qualify for the Miss Universe Japan pageant, received a warm round of applause.

She initially entered the 2025 Miss Universe Japan competition in July with the determination to inspire older generations. But through the experience, she found a new goal ahead of Sept. 15, which was Respect-for-the-Aged Day in Japan.

Sakai, born in Tokyo’s Jinbocho district, spent more than 30 years as a full-time homemaker, raising one son and three daughters.

She now has three grandchildren.

Two years ago, looking for a new direction in life, she learned about the “Mrs. Universe Japan” contest, which had no restrictions on age or marital status.

When she casually mentioned the contest to her husband, he encouraged her to enter.

“You have raised four kids and have always put others first. It’s time to do something for yourself,” he said.

She agreed with him and decided to just jump in without overthinking matters.

Sakai said she had never questioned her mother’s insistence that a woman’s role is to devote herself to her family. But there were times when she felt constricted.

She had also expected her children to oppose her decision to apply for the competition. However, they supported her instead.

And although she thought she would be given cold looks from others, she soon realized, “People actually don’t care as much about you as you think.”

She won the Mrs. Universe Japan division for those 60 and older.

Later, she learned that the age restriction of 18 to 28 for Miss Universe had been lifted for this year’s competition.

The Miss Universe pageant began in 1952. Every year, contestants around the world have undergone rigorous training in walking, public speaking and dance, hoping to win national contests to qualify for the international event.

“I want to experience real training,” Sakai said she thought before applying. She was chosen as one of the 42 finalists in Japan.

From April to July this year, she participated in a strict training camp, along with two women in their 30s and the rest in their 20s.

Sakai often fell half a beat behind in dance and struggled to memorize speeches. Still, she felt that if she remained dedicated, she could compete “on equal footing or even better.”

But she faced certain physical problems. Each time she was pregnant, her weight had increased to 80 kilograms, leaving her with loose, wrinkled skin around her stomach.

While the younger contestants wore bikinis for the swimsuit segment, Sakai was allowed to wear a one-piece swimsuit. She had hoped to wear stockings too, but that request was denied.

“You can’t fix wrinkles on your legs with skincare. But if you carry yourself with confidence, you’ll look more beautiful,” she said.

Many of her rivals at the camp were younger than Sakai’s daughters. They affectionately called Sakai “Junko mom.”

And when she couldn’t remember where to stand on stage, they helped her out, saying, “Junko-san, over here.”

Sakai initially entered the contest to provide encouragement to older people. But after going through the training, she felt she also wanted to send a message to younger women.

“In Japan, women are often seen as only having value when they’re young. And in today’s world, it’s hard for young people to have hope for the future. It’s too sad to think that once youth is gone, life is over,” she said.

She made it to the preliminary finals but could not reach the finals of the Miss Universe Japan pageant. But Sakai is using the experience to help women of all ages.

She now teaches high-heel walking at events organized by municipalities and within companies. She tells her students, “It’s more beautiful to walk tall and look up than to hunch over worrying about others.”

Her students include university students wearing heels for the first time for job interviews and women who walk with canes due to disabilities.

She also hopes her lessons teach the spirit of “living joyfully and brightly.”

“I want people to believe that they can truly shine in their 60s and beyond by going through experiences and learning,” Sakai said. “I want to become someone young people look up to.”