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Japanese Princess Mako move to New York with her hubby after leaving royal family

Japan’s former princess Mako Komuro arrived in the United States on Sunday with her husband, swapping ancient imperial rites for the bright lights of New York after leaving the royal family.

The pair tied the knot in Tokyo last month in muted fashion, following years of tabloid gossip and online sniping over their union that Komuro said caused her “sadness and pain.”

Footage broadcast on Japanese TV channels showed the couple flanked by security officials as they made their way through the airport and into a waiting vehicle.

Japanese Princess Mako move to New York with her hubby after leaving royal family
Japan’s former princess Mako Komuro (C), the elder daughter of Prince Akishino and Princess Kiko, and her husband Kei Komuro (2nd R) walk to their departure gate for their flight to New York at Tokyo’s Haneda international airport on 14 November, 2021AFP

A move to the United States had long been rumored. The two 30-year-olds finally boarded a commercial flight Sunday from Tokyo to New York, where Kei Komuro attended law school and now works.

Mako, the niece of Emperor Naruhito, lost her royal title when she married a commoner under post-war succession laws that also only allow male members of the imperial family to ascend the throne.

After announcing their engagement in 2017, the Komuros were confronted with a barrage of reports alleging that Kei’s family had run into financial difficulties.

Japanese Princess Mako move to New York with her hubby after leaving royal family

Japan’s royals are held to exacting standards, and the Imperial Household Agency said Mako developed complex post-traumatic stress disorder because of the media attention.

“I have been scared, feeling sadness and pain whenever one-sided rumours turn into groundless stories,” Mako said at a press conference after their marriage.

Kei said he felt “very sad that Mako has been in a bad condition, mentally and physically,” declaring: “I love Mako. We only get one life, and I want us to spend it with the one we love.”

The controversy surrounding the pair, and their US move, has drawn inevitable comparisons with another royal couple: Britain’s Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Japanese media said the Komuros, who met at university in Tokyo, have already secured a place to live in New York, though it was not clear where in the city they had chosen to set up their new life.

The original plan had been for Kei to travel to the United States ahead of Mako, with the former princess joining him after she got her first passport, reports said.

But Kei stayed in Japan longer than expected to attend the funeral of Mako’s grandfather.

Japan’s emperor holds no political power, but is an important symbolic figurehead.

Japanese Princess Mako move to New York with her hubby after leaving royal family
Princess Mako (right) and her husband Kei Komuro (left) during a press conference to announce their wedding at Grand Arc Hotel on October 26, 2021 in Tokyo.

With a dwindling supply of male royals, there has been some debate over changing the rules in Japan, with polls showing the public broadly support women being allowed to rule.

But any change is likely to be slow, with traditionalists vehemently opposed.

Komuro has a job as a clerk at a New York law firm. However, he has yet to pass the state’s bar exam, a professional setback that Japanese media have used to attack him.

Meanwhile, the former princess is in the process of securing a visa so she can also work in the US, Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported.

The couple will be financially independent after Mako turned down a $1.23 million payment that she was entitled to upon leaving the royal family.

She was the first imperial family member since World War II to not take the payment, saying that she rejected it because of the criticism surrounding her marriage.

In a press conference after their wedding ceremony, the couple apologized for any issues caused by their marriage.

“To me, Kei is a very important, indispensable existence,” Mako said.

“Mako and I would like to build a warm, nice family,” Komuro added. “Happy times, unhappy times, we would like to be together, and we will be indispensable to each other.”

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