The newlyweds left Japan two and a half weeks after their wedding. In America, the former princess Mako and her husband Kei Komuro want to build a new life – far away from the Japanese royals.
Mako from Japan moved to the United States with her husband Kei Komuro. Under strict security precautions and accompanied by great media interest, the couple boarded a scheduled flight to New York at Tokyo Airport on Sunday. When she married a commoner last month, King Naruhito’s niece had given up her title of nobility.
The marriage had taken place years late. Since announcing their engagement in 2017, the couple have been the focus of negative reports and comments. It was mainly about a loan that Komuro’s mother is said to have taken out from a former fiancé and not repaid.
Instead of getting married, Komuro finally went to the USA to study law in 2018; this was seen as a step to escape negative media attention. He returned to Japan only a few weeks ago.
Mako of Japan gave up her title for her husband Kei Komuro. (Source: Issei Kato / Reuters)
At a press conference after the marriage, the two 30-year-olds had for the first time openly announced their grief over the numerous negative reports. “To me, kei is irreplaceable. Our marriage is a necessary step to protect our hearts,” said Mako. “I have felt anxious, sad, and full of pain whenever one-sided rumors have turned into stories with no basis whatsoever.”
Komuro expressed regret that his new wife suffered from the negative news coverage. According to the Imperial Household, Mako has post-traumatic stress disorder because of the media reports.
Female members of the Japanese imperial family are excluded from the line of succession. After marrying a commoner they have to give up their titles of nobility, their children are also excluded from the line of succession. A change in the regulations has been discussed for some time.
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