News On Japan

Former princess, husband prepare for life in US

Oct 28, 2021 (NHK) - Japan's former princess Mako and her husband have started their life as newlyweds at a condo in Tokyo. They are preparing to settle in New York, where husband Komuro Kei works at a law firm.

The former Imperial family member is the eldest daughter of Crown Prince Akishino and a niece of Emperor Naruhito. Mako has become a commoner after marrying her former college classmate on Tuesday.

On their behalf, an official of the Imperial Household Agency filed their marriage registration with a municipal administration on Tuesday morning. The registration marked her departure from the Imperial family.

A procedure at the agency to officially remove Mako from the Imperial family register is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.

The couple held a news conference on Tuesday afternoon after getting married.

Komuro Mako stressed that her husband is irreplaceable for her, and that the two needed to get married in order to live in a way that is true to their hearts.

Komuro Kei said, "I love Mako." He added that he hopes to spend his life, which he can live only once, with the loved one.

The newlyweds live together and are preparing to obtain a passport and visa for Mako.

Komuro Kei took the New York bar exam in July, with results due shortly. He has secured a job at a law firm in the US state. Mako is reportedly planning to land a job, too.

The couple is reportedly planning to choose a rented studio apartment in New York as their residence.

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako watched Japan's opening FIFA World Cup match against the Netherlands together with King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima, highlighting the close ties between the Japanese Imperial Family and the Dutch Royal Family.

Japan and the Netherlands played to a 2-2 draw in their opening Group F match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on June 14, with the Samurai Blue twice coming from behind to earn a valuable point against one of the tournament's traditional powers.

Police in Kyoto Prefecture are investigating a hit-and-run after a vehicle crashed into the Maizuru office of Liberal Democratic Party Lower House member Taro Honda late on June 13 before the driver fled the scene.

A fire broke out at a Buddhist temple in Obihiro, Hokkaido, on June 13th, sending flames soaring from the building and causing temporary alarm in a nearby residential neighborhood before being largely extinguished about two hours later.

The Japanese government on June 12th released new guidelines calling for women’s toilets to have at least as many fixtures as men’s toilets in public facilities, seeking to address the persistent problem of long queues at women’s restrooms in places such as train stations and event venues.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Society NEWS

The Hokkaido Community Chest, which operates Japan's annual Red Feather Community Chest fundraising campaign, has revealed that approximately 180 million yen in donated funds are unaccounted for, with a senior official suspected of misappropriating the money over several years.

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, who are visiting the Netherlands, took a stroll around the grounds of the Dutch royal family's residence where they are staying, revisiting places connected to a previous visit two decades ago.

A 23-year-old Syrian man died after drowning in the Itadori River in Seki, Gifu Prefecture, on June 14th while enjoying a river outing with friends.

A fire broke out at a Buddhist temple in Obihiro, Hokkaido, on June 13th, sending flames soaring from the building and causing temporary alarm in a nearby residential neighborhood before being largely extinguished about two hours later.

Four people have been arrested on suspicion of defrauding a man in his 20s out of 870,000 yen by disguising a rental room in Osaka as a bar and luring customers through a matchmaking app.

A 25-year-old construction worker arrested for allegedly breaking into a high school in Mie Prefecture and stealing slippers and indoor shoes told investigators he wanted to become sexually aroused, police said.

A 62-year-old man riding a LUUP electric scooter died following a collision with a pedestrian at an intersection in Tokyo's Koto Ward on June 2nd, marking what is believed to be the first confirmed fatal accident involving a LUUP user on a Tokyo roadway.

Police have arrested a 19-year-old man on suspicion of murder after a 17-year-old high school student was found unconscious on a riverbank in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, and later pronounced dead.