JAPAN: Newly crowned Miss Universe, Zuleyka Rivera Mendoza may be the hottest woman in the world, but she's in Tokyo to help cool the city down

Clad in a summer kimono or yukata (pronounced yoo-kah-tah), newly crowned Miss Universe Zuleyka Rivera Mendoza arrived in Tokyo on her first mission to help the fight against global warming. Joined by Japanese Environment Minister Yuriko Koike (pronounced Yoo-ree-koh Koh-ee-kay), Rivera took part in a traditional japanese uchimizu (oo-chee-mee-zoo) or water sprinkling event, one of the many events the Japanese government is sponsoring nation-wide to beat the summer heat and keep global warming gas emissions down to a minimum. Japanese traditionally sprinkle water in front of shops and house entrances to cool down the roads and settle the dust and this practice is believed to cool the surface heat of cities by two to three degrees in the summer.. With the surface heat in central Tokyo at 39 degrees celsius -- mostly due to the concrete and asphalt -- Rivera was close to exhaustion at times but bore the heat well, despite her previous faint spells. Forty minutes into her reign as Miss Universe, Miss Puerto Rico Zuleyka Rivera Mendoza collapsed during a post-pageant news conference and was rushed offstage early last month. This time however she fared better. The lithe 5-foot-9 18-year-old said the heat reminded her of her home in Puerto Rico. "I am so excited because this is the first city I am ever visiting as Miss Universe. The city is huge and the weather here is almost like that of Puerto Rico," she told Reuters during the event. Commenting about her title as the hottest woman in the world she added it was all part of the event. "Thanks .. for your comment, being here and joining this event is also a hot experience and I am so glad of this experience and to be able to share this experience with the people of Japan," she said though she added that she did not have any comments specifically about global warming. The Puerto Rican beauty queen was named the 55th Miss Universe over runner-up Miss Japan, Kurara Chibana, 24 at the pageant's Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on July 23. She is due tour the world on her main mission as Miss Universe which is to work to help those with HIV/AIDS.

ITN Source | August 5, 2006

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