
JAPAN - Nobody wants to be called a witch.
But a beauty pageant in Japan is attempting to change all that.
The National Beautiful Witches Contest, now in its fourth year, celebrates women "over 35 that possess an almost magical beauty untouched by age", Rocket News 24 reported.
Housewife Mayumi Nishimura (above), 39, from Aichi Prefecture, took home the top prize in the Halloween- themed pageant held in Tokyo last week.
Japanese beauty magazine Bisuto coined the name Beautiful Witch in 2009 to describe fashionable and attractive women over 35.
Ms Nishimura beat 19 other finalists and 2,400 applicants, many of whom were professional models.
She said she keeps in shape by dancing to K-Pop group Girls' Generation's DVD at least twice a week, much to her husband's embarrassment.

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(Photos: Lollipop, Screengrabs: YouTube)