Japan’s Meghan Markle and Prince Harry? Princess Mako is set to wed her commoner sweetheart Kei Komuro and move to the US … despite the controversy

Sep 3 , 2021

Princess Mako, the elder daughter of Prince Akishino and Princess Kiko, and her fiancé Kei Komuro, a university friend of Princess Mako, smile during a press conference to announce their engagement at Akasaka East Residence in Tokyo, Japan, in September 2017. Photo: Reuters

The course of true love never did run smooth, but after public controversy and a wedding delay, Japan’s Princess Mako is reportedly set to tie the knot and move to the US.

The daughter of Japan’s crown prince and niece of Emperor Naruhito has endured years of sniping and stalling over her plans to marry sweetheart Kei Komuro.

The pair have now decided to wed without some traditional ceremonies, rejecting a payout that usually goes to female royals marrying out of the royal family.

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A street TV in Tokyo’s Yurakucho area shows a news report saying that Princess Mako, the first grandchild of Japanese Emperor Akihito, will soon become engaged to Kei Komuro, a 25-year-old graduate student at Tokyo’s Hitotsubashi University, in May 2017. Photo: Kyodo

Japan’s imperial succession rules mean that 29-year-old Mako will lose her title after marriage to a commoner.

But Komuro has still been heavily scrutinised over allegations that his mother borrowed money from a former fiancé and failed to repay it.

After tabloids reported on the claims, a furore erupted around the young couple in a country where the royal family is held to an exacting standard.

The pair postponed their wedding, and Komuro moved to the US for law school in a move that was widely seen as a bid to defuse the negative attention.

Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko smile with their family members during a photo session for the New Year at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan in November 2016. Photo: Imperial Household Agency of Japan via Reuters

Crown Prince Akishino last year said that he supported his daughter’s marriage, but that she needed to win the public’s “understanding”.

But she has apparently decided to get around the issue by marrying without the usual ritual ceremonies that accompany a royal wedding, and declining a lump sum payment given to female royals who marry commoners.

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The size of the payment is unknown, though reports put it at US$1.2 million (137 million yen) or more.

She is also said to be planning to move to the United States after her wedding, drawing inevitable comparisons with another controversial royal couple: Britain’s Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Japan’s Princess Mako, the first daughter of Prince Akishino and Princess Kiko, poses for photos at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo in October 2011. Photo: AP Photo

Mako is sister to Prince Hisahito, 14, currently the only eligible male heir to the throne other than his father, as Japan’s Chrysanthemum Throne can pass only to male members of the family, and the children of female royals who marry commoners are not included.

There has been no official confirmation of Princess Mako’s plans, but reports have topped news bulletins and sparked a social media frenzy.

Opinion online was split, with some insisting it was still “too early” for the marriage to go ahead.

Kei Komuro, who will soon become engaged to Princess Mako, the first grandchild of Emperor Akihito, speaks to reporters in Tokyo in May 2017. Photo: Kyodo

“I think there are very few Japanese who can celebrate this marriage from the bottom of their heart. I’m so worried about Princess Mako,” wrote one Japanese Twitter user.

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But others lauded the pair’s determination, with the Mainichi Shimbun saying, the “strong will bear fruit”.

“This is the decision Princess Mako made, standing firm for her life,” added another Twitter user. “Wonderful.”

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Royalty

The niece of Emperor Naruhito and daughter of crown Prince Akishino, Mako will lose her title and her sons won’t be eligible for the Chrysanthemum Throne
The couple are skipping traditional ceremonies and turning down a payout that goes to female royals marrying commoners – and social media is all atwitter