Before leaving their home in Tokyo, Japan's Princess Mako and commoner Kei Komuro married without a wedding ceremony. However, this has divided public opinion over her would-be mother-in-law's financial controversy. In addition, she lost her royal status in a union. The couple submitted the marriage document through a palace official on Tuesday morning and is now official, the Imperial Household Agency reported.
Will Princess Mako move to the USA?
According to reports, the Japanese successor to the throne is no longer a royal. She has now taken her husband's last name and will be called Mako Komuro. This is also the first time that the princess will have a family name. In the Japanese imperial family, only male members are given family names, while female members only have titles. Furthermore, if they marry commoners, they must leave. This example of pre-war paternalism, which still exists in Japan, is also reflected in Japanese gender politics. Many Japanese criticize this and consider the laws outdated, including the one that requires married couples to use only one surname, almost always that of the husband. The newlyweds will make statements at a press conference. However, they will only answer the questions in writing because Princess Mako showed fear and discomfort with what would be asked, the agency said.
Mako is recovering from what palace doctors have described as a form of traumatic stress disorder. The princess developed this after seeing negative media coverage of her marriage. The couple is expected to move to the United States after the marriage, where Mr. Komuro works as a lawyer. The move has inevitable comparisons with the British royal coupleMeghan Markleand Prince Harry, which has earned the newlyweds the nickname “Japan’s Harry and Meghan.” Like Ms. Markle, Mr. Komuro has come under intense scrutiny since announcing his relationship with Ms. Mako. Most recently, Japanese people criticized him for wearing a ponytail when he returned to Japan. Mr. Komuro, who received a job offer from a leading New York law firm, comes from a humble background. Local tabloids have spent years digging up dirt on his family, including the allegations against his mother.
