Japan's representative for this year's Miss Universe contest has been selected. On Tuesday, the 2010 Miss Universe Japan finals were held in Tokyo, and 25-year-old Maiko Itai was crowned as the winner.

Itai, hailing from the Oita prefecture, bested a field of about 4,000 contestants, which had been narrowed down to 11 finalists. Itai graduated from Sophia University and began working as a civil servant in Oita, but she left the job at the end of December when she was chosen as a finalist.

Itai will try to achieve another win for Japan at the 2010 Miss Universe competition this summer. The location of the contest has not yet been announced.