Mako, 29, the niece of Emperor Naruhito and daughter of Crown Prince Akishino, is married to a college classmate, Kei Komuro. Their engagement was announced in 2017, but the wedding kept getting postponed.
There was much criticism from conservative quarters, because the princess would not fulfill her imperial duty by marrying a civilian. There were also protests in the streets against the marriage.
‘Necessary choice’
Postponement after delay followed due to hassle over Komuro’s family’s finances. Now the lovers have chosen not to wait any longer. They waive the ‘fuck up premium’ to which the princess is entitled. “A necessary choice,” Mako called it at a press conference.
Komuro continued: “I love Mako. I only live once and I want to spend my life with someone I love.”
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According to Reuters news agency, Princess Mako has dropped a government subsidy of 1.1 million euros. Female members of the Imperial family lose their title if they marry a ‘common man’. They will receive a one-off allowance of 150 million yen (converted 1.1 million euros) in return. Mako is now letting that allowance go.
The couple wants to live in New York after the wedding. Komuro also lived there. He studied law there until last May. Princess Mako says about it: “There will be different difficulties when we start our new life, but we will go through it together as we have done in the past.”
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The Japanese court has announced that the wedding will be celebrated on a small scale, without a state banquet or other ceremonies.
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