The Japanese princess Mako wants to marry her middle-class fiancé – but there is resistance to this in conservative society. The princess therefore renounces the imperial court.
It sounds like an old fairy tale or a classic love story: The Japanese princess Mako loves a commoner. The 29-year-old niece of Emperor Naruhito met Kei Komuro, who was the same age, during her studies, and the two have been engaged for years. But the rules and traditions do not allow her to marry a man below her class.
In all likelihood, the princess will give up her title and leave the imperial family in order to marry her fiancé. And that’s not all: According to media reports, she is also rejecting a sum equivalent to more than a million dollars that the Japanese government wanted to pay her. The money was planned as a one-time financial support for the wedding – as it is said, “to preserve the dignity of a person who was once a member of the imperial family”.
Japan: Princess Mako waives money
With the waiver, Mako apparently reacts to ongoing criticism of her fiancé and his financial situation. The couple had wanted to get married in 2018, but the wedding was canceled at short notice because it became known that the mother of her fiancé had debts. That alone is considered a problem in the arch-conservative Japanese society – especially if it also leads to the suspicion that tax money could be used indirectly for the financial difficulties of private individuals.
Meanwhile, Mako’s fiancé Komuro has finished his law studies in the USA and is financially independent. This should finally clear the way for the wedding between princess and commoner. It is expected that the couple will announce a short-term wedding date in the next few days or weeks. According to Japanese reports, the small-group wedding would take place this year.
Kei Komuro returns to Japan
The Japanese public broadcaster NHK has already reported that Komuro has left New York for Japan and is returning to his homeland for the first time in three years. Before Komuro and Mako can see each other again, the 29-year-old has to spend 14 days in quarantine. As can be seen from the Japanese Royal report, the couple could build a new life together after the wedding in the USA – without the constraints of the traditions at the imperial court.
Sources: /
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