Under the rule of the imperial family, Emperor Naruhito’s 30-year-old niece, Mako, renounced her royal title by marrying Kei Komuro, the same age who works for an American law firm. Since they announced their engagement in 2017, the couple have faced newspaper scandals and online attacks over allegations that the Komuro family is struggling financially.
“For me, Kay is irreplaceable. Our marriage is a necessary step for us to protect our hearts, ”he told reporters after celebrating the wedding. “I was scared, sad and painful when rumors coming from one side turned into groundless stories,” she added.
After many delays, they finally tied the knot without a wedding ceremony, banquet, or any customary ceremony, choosing to do it in private, away from an audience that was not always kind. Mako also ditched a dowry usually offered to royal women when they leave their family, worth more than a million euros, and are now said to be planning to move to the United States.
Japanese royalty follow strict rules and Mako develops complex disorder stress post-traumatic due to media attention, according to Imperial House.
The agency said the couple did not respond to reporters’ questions to make the experience less stressful for Mako.
“I love Mako. We only have one life, and I want to spend it with the one I love, ”said Komuro. “I am very sad that Mako is in poor mental and physical condition due to false accusations.” In a document passed on to reporters, Mako said his condition was “bad.”
Despite negative press coverage and small but violent protests against marriage, more than half of those surveyed by the daily Yomiuri Shimbun consider marriage to be a positive development.
