Miss Universe 2007, Riyo Mori, was born on December 24, 1986, in Shizuoka Prefecture.
She began dancing under her mother's tutelage at the age of four. To hone her dance skills, she studied abroad in Canada at age 15. While attending high school in Canada, she auditioned for the prestigious Quinty Ballet School and passed the teacher training course before returning to Japan. She then traveled to the United States to pursue a career as a Broadway dancer in New York, becoming the first Asian to pass the Rockettes Summer Intensive Program.
After completing the program, she returned to Japan and won the Miss Universe Japan National Team in 2007. She represented Japan at the Miss Universe pageant held in Mexico, winning unanimously, becoming the second Japanese person to do so in 48 years. As the 56th Miss Universe, she traveled the world from her base in New York, participating in various volunteer and charity activities. Currently, while working as a model and TV personality, she also serves as the artistic director of the dance school "I.R.M Academy" in her hometown of Shizuoka, where she teaches classes alongside her mother. She also serves as an ambassador for "LEXUS."