She is also divorced from the famous Japanese actor Akira Takarada, who rose to fame in the Toho movie studios doing the Godzilla movies since 1954.
Japan had not come that close to winning the crown since 1959, when Akiko Kojima won the first Miss Universe crown for Japan.
She represented the USA in the 1960 Miss Universe pageant, broadcast from Long Beach, California, where she was crowned the winner of the title by Miss Universe 1959, Akiko Kojima of Japan.
Akiko Shikata | Akiko Yano | Yoshio Kojima | Shinichi Kojima | Ayami Kojima | Akiko Thomson | Akiko Kojima | Takashi Kojima | Mike Kojima | Kojima Engineering | Anne Akiko Meyers | Akiko Sugiyama | Akiko Solon | Akiko Morigami | Akiko Kimura | Akiko Ebi |