Miss International 2013 is underway. After Miss World, Miss Universe and Miss Earth International, this is the last beauty pageant of the year. Before the New Year rings in, we will have another beautiful woman who will wear the crown of Miss International 2013 in Japan at a star studded ceremony.

The Miss International 2013 is held in Tokyo on Dec. 17. Earlier, the event has taken place in Tokyo and marked its return to the beautiful Japanese capital after a gap of 5 years. The coronation ceremony is taking place at the Shinagawa Prince Hotel Hall. Tokyo first hosted the Miss International pageant in 1968 after seven years of being held in Long Beach, California.

You can view it live here. The prestigious pageant is a part of the Big Four international beauty pageants - Miss World (1951), Miss Universe (1952), Miss Earth (2001) and Miss International (1960). Though Miss World and Miss Universe are more popular among the four, all the pageants are considered the four most coveted titles in international beauties.

The current Miss International titleholder is Ikumi Yoshimatsu of Japan, crowned on Oct. 21, 2012 but has now been dethroned. According to the South China Morning Post, Yoshimatsu has also been banned from this year's ceremony after she raised he voice about allegedly receiving harassment, stalking and threats from a top agency exec.

"Harassment and intimidation from one man has deprived me of the role of Miss International," wrote Yoshimatsu on her Facebook page. "I have had to fight back tears of mortification. I can no longer to out alone as I fear I will be killed by someone. Fortunately, I now have security 24 hours a day - but other women who face the same stalking problem as me have no such security."

Yoshimatsu was pressured to sign Burning Productions - a film production company which is rumoured to be linked with Japanese underworld. She refused and went ahead by starting up her own company and hence started the trouble.

According to missinternational.org this pageant is not based on looks alone like its counterparts Miss Universe and Miss World. "The contestants are expected to serve as 'ambassadors of peace and beauty,' showing tenderness, benevolence, friendship, beauty, intelligence, ability to take action, and most importantly a great international sensibility," said the Web site.

Just like Miss World 2013 Megan Young, Miss International Philippines 2013 contestant Bea Rose Santiago is the current favorite to win the pageant. This 21-year-old Masbate-born candidate will represent the Philippines. The Beauties who are representatives of 68 countries and regions came to Japan for the World Contest.

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