Controversial wedding for Japanese princess Mako

Princess Mako unceremoniously married commoner Kei Komuro. After four years of uncertainty, the Japanese lovebirds recorded their wedding in Tokyo on Tuesday, October 26. They can now prepare for their departure for New York, where Mr. Komuro will work for a law firm. A graduate in museology from the University of Leicester (United Kingdom), Mako – daughter of Crown Prince Fumihito and niece of Emperor Naruhito – could start a career in the Big Apple.

What to consider a “normal” life for a couple in turmoil since the revelations, at the end of 2017, by the weekly Shukan Josei, the refusal of Mr. Komuro’s mother to reimburse 4 million yen (30,000 euros) paid by his former partner for his son’s studies. Unveiled three months after the relationship with the princess was publicly announced, the case sparked an uproar against Mr Komuro, presented as a seducer targeting the princess to sort out his money problems. The imperial house then postponed the union project and Mr. Komuro left for New York, where he continued his studies.

Post-traumatic stress syndrome

The Japanese tabloids are never tender as soon as they detect the slightest roughness in the members of the imperial family. Women are particularly targeted. The current Empress Masako, accused of not having fulfilled her duties and criticized for not having had a son, has long suffered from depression. Likewise, Mako is said to be affected by post-traumatic stress disorder. “In Japan, the idea of ​​women’s autonomy still does not pass, especially on the extreme right”, deplores Koichi Nakano, political scientist from Sophia University.

With the couple not straying from their will, the marriage was finally decided and Mr. Komuro returned to Japan in September. Not without new tensions. The ponytail he wore rekindled criticism. On October 16, the far right marched against the marriage, accusing the young man of “Tax evasion for its own benefit”.

Fumihito having admitted that “Many people are not convinced by this marriage”, traditional ceremonies have been canceled. To cut short the criticisms of her husband, Mako, who lost his status as a member of the imperial family through his union with a commoner, waived the 152 million yen (1.1 million euros) paid to the princesses at the time. of their marriage, as if paying the price for his peace.