The vain and well-rounded have been battling it out to be crowned Japan's "bottom queen".

The winner was selected from more than 100 hopefuls in a dance-off in their underwear.

Eventually it was 18-year-old high school student Kaho Watanabe who pinched the top prize.

She said she was surprised to win after years of Japan being the butt of jokes.

Ms Watanabe said: "Many people in the world might think Japanese people's buttocks are sagging or very small, compared to other nationalities. I want to shake off that image."

For her efforts, she won a year-long supply of smalls and will now take a seat at the world championship in Germany on October 31.

The winner said she is doubly shocked as she recently burnt a buttock by sitting on some hair straighteners.

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