Princess Mako's marriage plan announced

NHK -- Oct 02

Japan's Imperial Household Agency has announced that Princess Mako and her former college classmate Komuro Kei will get married this month.

The top official in charge of Crown Prince Akishino's family, Kachi Takaharu, announced the plan at a news conference on Friday.

He said the couple will submit the registration of their marriage with a municipality on October 26. The date is considered the luckiest on the Japanese calendar.

The official said the couple will hold a news conference on the day of the registration.

Komuro is currently self-isolating at his home in Yokohama City, near Tokyo, as part of coronavirus precautions after returning from the United States on Monday.

After the quarantine period ends on October 11, Komuro is expected to meet the princess for the first time in about three years.

Princess Mako and Komuro are expected to move to the US to start their new life after the princess leaves the Imperial family and obtains a passport and visa.

At the news conference, the agency disclosed that no traditional ceremonies for Imperial family members' weddings will be held.

It also revealed that Princess Mako declined to receive a lump-sum payment to which female Imperial family members are entitled upon marriage.

The agency indicated that she declined due to criticism of her and the couple's families.

The agency added that the princess has been diagnosed with complex post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, after being criticized repeatedly for a long time.

Oct 02 (Kyodo) - 宮内庁は1日、秋篠宮家の長女眞子さま(29)と小室圭さん(29)の結婚の日程を10月26日と正式発表した。同じ日に2人は記者会見を行う。眞子さまは婚姻届を提出した後、皇籍離脱して民間人となり、小室さんが生活拠点を置く米国へ移られる見通し。