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Post by Admin on Nov 16, 2021 21:15:44 GMT
Japan’s Former Princess Moves To New York
A former Japanese princess is beginning her new life in New York City. The emperor’s niece gave up her royal status to marry her college sweetheart. NBC’s Kathy Park reports from JFK Airport, where the newlyweds arrived over the weekend.
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Post by Admin on Nov 19, 2021 3:50:19 GMT
Japan's former princess Mako gives up royal title, arrives with husband in New York| World News
Japan's ex-princess Mako has arrived in the US with her husband, Kei Komuro, the pair tied the knot in Tokyo last month. Following years of media scrutiny and controversies, footage aired on Japanese media channels on Sunday showed the pair guided with security personnel.
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Post by Admin on Nov 30, 2021 20:32:57 GMT
Prince Akishino, the first in line to the Japanese throne, has lambasted the country’s media for their treatment of his eldest daughter, Mako, accusing them of saying “terrible things” about her in the run-up to her marriage.
Mako married Kei Komuro, a non-royal whom she met at university, on 26 October, almost four years after their engagement was called off following revelations about a minor financial dispute involving his mother. But they made only a brief public appearance before moving to New York, where Komuro works for a law firm.
Critical coverage of their engagement has left Mako, who relinquished her royal status when she married Komuro, suffering from a form of post-traumatic stress disorder.
“If you read the tabloids, well – I’m not sure how to say this exactly – but there’s a lot of things in there that are fabricated, although there are also some opinions we should listen to,” Akishino said in unusually frank comments at a press conference held to mark his 56th birthday on Tuesday.
Akishino’s broadside was a departure from press conferences customarily given by members of the imperial family, whose answers to questions submitted in advance are usually designed to ruffle as few feathers as possible.
Weekly magazine reports that Komuro’s mother, Kayo, was in a dispute over a ¥4m [$35,000] “loan” from a former fiance led to intense media scrutiny of his family, online abuse and questions among some members of the public about his suitability as the future husband of the emperor’s eldest niece.
“As for articles on the internet, there are also lots of comments ... and some of them say really terrible things,” Akishino said in explaining the media’s role in Mako’s mental health problems. “There are people who are deeply hurt by this slander.”
“Libel, whether in a magazine or online, is unacceptable,” he said. “If you are going to argue against an article, you have to set proper standards and then protest when those are exceeded. Negative coverage may continue, so I think it is necessary to consider setting such standards in consultation with the IHA.”
Akishino decided the couple should forego traditional ceremonies associated with imperial marriages, and offered only lukewarm support for their union.
On Tuesday, he said his “judgment” had affected the wider imperial family, since it gave the impression that important events and ceremonies involving its members were “extremely trivial”.
Akishino was aware of public unease about using taxpayers’ money to pay for celebrations while the financial dispute remained unresolved, while Mako refused a payment of around ¥150m ($1.3m) – also from the public purse – traditionally given to women who renounce their royal status when they marry.
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Post by Admin on Dec 28, 2021 0:00:13 GMT
Japan's former Princess Mako got a festive start to the holiday season last week as she stepped out in her new home of New York City. Carrying a holiday gift bag, Mako was seen visiting the apartment building of Caroline Kennedy on Dec. 23. However, it is unclear if she visited Kennedy, who served as U.S. ambassador to Japan from 2013 to 2017 after being appointed by Barack Obama. Mako relocated to New York in November following her low-key wedding ceremony to husband Kei Komuro. Because the law in Japan requires a princess to "leave the imperial family upon marriage to a commoner," Princess Mako gave up her royal titles to marry Komuro. She also turned down a $1.3 million payout from the Japanese government that is traditionally paid to royal women who lose their royal status when they marry. RELATED: Princess Mako Gave Up Her Title for Kei Komuro: Their Love Story, in Their Own Words Princess Mako and Komuro, both 30, arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City on November 15, just weeks after their wedding. They are renting an apartment in N.Y.C., according to the BBC, where Komuro works at a law firm after graduating from Fordham University's law school. According to reports earlier this month, Komuro failed the bar exam but plans to retake the test. The couple met while attending a study-abroad event at a restaurant in Shibuya, a district in Tokyo. They were both students at the International Christian University in Tokyo at the time. "First I was attracted by his bright smile," Mako previously said, according to The Telegraph. The couple first announced their plans to wed in September 2017, but the event was ultimately pushed off following a dispute over money between Komuro's mother and her former fiancé concerning his having financed Komuro's education. Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!
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