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Post by Admin on Sept 29, 2021 22:03:16 GMT
Princess Mako of Akishino Japanese princess Akihito Emperor of Japan from 1989 to 2019 Fumihito, Prince Akishino Second son of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko Japan’s Princess Mako and her long-term boyfriend, Kei Komuro, are entering the final stages of their upcoming marriage to the dismay of many in the Japanese public. Royal drama: In 2017, Princess Mako, the granddaughter of former Emperor Akihito, publicly announced her engagement to Komuro, a commoner, and had the approval of the majority of Japan’s citizens. However, soon after, the financial battle between Komuro’s mother and her ex-fiancé, to whom she reportedly owed 4 million yen (approximately $36,000), made headlines across tabloids and news outlets. The public shunned the soon-to-be groom because part of that money was allegedly spent on his education. The dispute embarrassed the royal family and caused Princess Mako’s father, Crown Prince Akishino, to have mixed feelings about their marriage, according to AP News. In 2018, Komuro left Japan to pursue a degree from Fordham University’s School of Law. He graduated in May with a Juris Doctor degree and took the New York state bar exam in July. The couple’s decisions: On Monday, Komuro returned to Japan for the first time since 2018. He landed a job at a law firm in New York and is expected to live there with Princess Mako after their marriage, according to the Washington Post. Komuro made headlines once again for sporting a ponytail and no necktie after he landed, which fueled more Japanese news reports bashing him for his appearance and concluding that he is unfit for his engagement. TikToks mocking his ponytail have also gone viral, with one reaching over 4.5 million views.
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Post by Admin on Oct 1, 2021 5:30:56 GMT
After years of controversy, Japan’s Princess Mako will marry her former classmate, a commoner, this month - thus giving up her royal status. The Imperial Household Agency said the date had been set for 26 October. The duo was initially set to wed in 2018, but this was reportedly put off after reports of a financial dispute involving Mr Komuro's mother. The couple is expected to move to the US after their marriage - where Mr Komuro works as a lawyer. Under Japanese law, female imperial family members forfeit their status upon marriage to a "commoner" whereas male members do not The duo met in 2012 as students at the International Christian University in Tokyo. They were engaged in 2017 and set to wed a year after they announced their engagement. But news later surfaced of Mr Komuro's mother's financial problems - she had reportedly taken a loan from her ex-fiancé and not paid him back. The palace denied the delay was linked to this though Crown Prince Fumihito - the princess' father - said it was important for the money issues to be dealt with before marriage.
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Post by Admin on Oct 2, 2021 5:35:43 GMT
Japan's Princess Mako has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder in wake of local media coverage surrounding her complex romance with a commoner, the palace announced Friday. The Imperial Household Agency says Mako, 29, is set to marry aspiring lawyer Kei Komuro on October 26, according to NBC News. No special events will take place that day to commemorate the occasion "because their marriage is not celebrated by many people," the agency explained. Mako has faced intense scrutiny over her planned union to Komuro, also 29. Her father, Crown Prince Akishino, does not believe the marriage would be embraced by Japanese people, according to The Wall Street Journal. Komuro graduated from Fordham Law in New York this year and currently works for law firm Lowenstein Sandler LLP. He recently completed the state bar exam for New York and is awaiting his results. Once married, Mako will lose her royal status. According to NBC News, the princess is expected to decline a gift of 150 million yen ($1.35 million) meant to help her adjust to non-royal life. Though Mako will earn rights afforded to regular Japanese citizens, including the right to vote, she and Komuro plan to move to New York upon marrying, reports NBC News.
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Post by Admin on Oct 6, 2021 2:26:07 GMT
Princess Mako, the eldest daughter of the Crown Prince and Princess of Japan and a niece of the reigning Emperor Naruhito, is set to marry her long-time boyfriend Kei Komuro at the end of the month. Princess Mako’s engagement to Kei Komuro was announced in 2017, with the wedding initially expected to take place in November 2018. However, the wedding was postponed after it turned out that Kei Komuro’s mother was involved in a financial dispute with her former fiancé. Some of the money involved in the dispute had gone towards paying Kei Komuro’s tuition. The conflict meant that the public began to disapprove, and a media frenzy ensued.
The dispute dragged on as Kei Komuro went to study in the United States. His recent return, with a hairdo that caused yet another uproar, has suddenly sped up the couple’s marriage plans. The wedding will now go ahead without the traditional rites and, as it turns out, probably without the payment of approximately $1.35 million, intended to maintain her dignity. Princess Mako will also give up her imperial titles upon marriage as required.
According to the Imperial Household Agency press conference on 1 October, Princess Mako requested not to receive the payment even before the wedding preparations began. Princess Mako long considered the money to be a source of criticism, which was a burden on her. She spoke with the Grand Steward in 2015 on whether it was even possible to decline the money. The Grand Steward gave his personal opinion that it may be difficult to decline, and the matter was left to rest as the wedding was still undecided.
At present, Princess Mako still feels the money to be a mental burden, and she has recently been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder following the intense media coverage. However, if it is not possible to decline the money, she is considering donating the money.
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Post by Admin on Oct 21, 2021 21:59:31 GMT
Japan's Princess Mako will marry a commoner in a subdued ritual on Tuesday after a three-year engagement plagued by scandal and media speculation, which has left the 29-year-old niece of the emperor with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
She will become an ordinary citizen after marrying Kei Komuro, a 30-year-old Japanese law graduate who lives in New York, in line with laws mandating female imperial family members abandon royal status.
Their Tuesday marriage will mainly consist of filing paperwork, then holding a news conference. While marrying out of royalty isn't uncommon in Japan, the lack of pomp for a royal wedding is. Mako even turned down the usual $1.3 million payment given to women leaving the family.
An engagement first cheered by the Japanese people soon became troubled as tabloids reported a money scandal involving Komuro's mother, prompting the press to turn on him.
In the absence of clear explanations by the Imperial Household Agency (IHA), which runs the family's lives, the story spread to the mainstream press, usually scrupulous in royal reporting.
"British royals have been pretty clear when they needed to explain things, but ultimately this wasn't ever clarified," said Hideya Kawanishi, an associate professor at Nagoya University.
The saga began quietly enough in 2017 when the two college sweethearts announced their engagement.
"I'll be happy if I can make a warm and comfortable family full of smiles," Mako told a news conference, with the loving looks they exchanged captivating the nation.
But just months later, the tabloids reported a financial dispute between Komuro's mother and her former fiance, with the man claiming mother and son hadn't repaid a debt of about $35,000. Komuro has said the money was provided as a gift, not a loan. In 2021, he issued a 24-page explanation and also said he would pay a settlement.
In February 2018, the marriage was postponed until 2020, ostensibly for more time to "prepare". Six months later, Komuro left for Fordham University's law school, to return only three years later.
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