Society

Engagement of Princess Mako to be officially announced on July 8

Jun 20 (Japan Today) - The Imperial Household Agency said Monday it will officially announce the engagement of Princess Mako, the first granddaughter of Emperor Akihito, to a university classmate of hers on July 8.

Following agency chief Shinichiro Yamamoto's announcement, Princess Mako, 25, and her fiance-to-be, 25-year-old Kei Komuro, will hold a news conference together the same day, the agency said.

The agency has selected the day, which falls on Saturday, in light of possible impact on Komuro's work. He currently works as a paralegal at a law firm in Tokyo and attends Hitotsubashi University's graduate school.

The couple are expected to marry sometime next year, according to agency sources.

Komuro was a classmate of the princess while they were attending International Christian University in a Tokyo suburb.

They met about five years ago through a mutual friend and soon started going out, before Komuro proposed about a year later, according to a source close to the matter.

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