Riyo Mori, 20-year-old dancer from Japan, was crowned Miss Universe 2007 on Monday night.

Meanwhile, Miss USA Rachel Smith slipped and fell to the floor during the evening gown competition and was jeered by the Mexican audience during the interview phase. She became the contest's fourth runner-up.

Mori, from the small town of Shizuoka at the base of Mount Fuji, won the cheers of the Mexico City audience when she opened her interview, saying 'Hola, Mexico!'

The last time Japan won the pageant was in 1959 when Akiko Kojima became the first Miss Universe from Asia.

"I learned how to always be happy, be patient and to be positive, and this is what I want to teach to the next generation," Mori said, adding that she wants to someday open an international dance school in Tokyo.

"She is an amazing champion, an amazing woman and I hear that they go totally insane in Japan, so that's good," said Donald Trump, who co-owns the pageant with NBC.

The final competition for the Miss Universe crown took place in the Mexican capital's National Auditorium for two hours from 8 p.m., with 10,000 people in the stands.