Engagement & Marriage of Princess Mako and Kei Komuro: September 2017 - 2021

[Biri]

"it's selfish for her to leave the Imperial Family before taking part in whatever ceremonies they have planned for the abdication/transition."

If she already were not a member of the Imperial Family then, she would be prohibited to attend the abdication of Akihito and ascension of Naruhito's ceremonies?
She will always be the granddaughter of the first and niece of the second one!

 

[bertie5252003]

I agree something has happened either between the couple or rather that the Princess has had secong thoughts about life after .. something is fishy though IMO..

 

[princess gertrude]

I agree bertie5252003, something has happened. You don't just postpone a wedding like this. My guess is that she had thoughts about life after. I do hope I'm wrong. I suppose we shall see over the course of the next couple of years.

 

[loool]

I think the reason is financial, pure and simple. They are at the stage where the groom and his family should send gifts to the bride's house. Japan is very expensive and the bride is a princess so the expected gifts are expensive. the groom is very young to get married ( I don't think he can support himself and pay for the wedding even regular one).

As for the princess, Im sure she and her family thought hard and long about this engagement. It does not make sense to me that she or IHA will get cold feet.
Unless the couple had a problem/fight.

 

[Prisma]

Disappointing news. "Lack of preparation" is odd and embarrassing for the IHA. Following Emperor Showa's death in January 1989, the IHA managed the funeral, a year of mourning rites, Prince Akishino's engagement that September, his marriage in June 1990, and Emperor Akihito’s enthronement in November 1990.

Certainly the abdication/succession is a huge factor in the postponement. She may feel obligated to attend as an Imperial family member rather than privately as a former member. If true, that's extremely sad she and Kei Komuro must wait to start their married life.

I expect the IHA to pay for the wedding and help the groom with formal engagement gifts (sea bream, sake, white cloth/dress) if necessary. Mako will also receive a substantial one-time allowance. I doubt Yoshiki Kuroda or Kunimaro Senge paid for their weddings even though both men had longer careers before marriage. Financial concerns are plausible. Even with the allowance, can Mako and Kei support themselves on his paralegal salary, her part-time salary, and finish their graduate studies while living near or in Tokyo? I don't believe she'll be living with Kei, his mother, and grandfather in their Yokohama apartment and commute to Tokyo for work/school after marriage.

Regarding the financial dispute: Kayo Komuro says the 4 million Yen was a gift while her ex-fiance insists the money was a loan. [Jiji]

The media captured Princess Mako and Kei Komuro leaving work on February 6th: [Sankei, Asahi, Getty Images]

 

[Al_bina]

It is quite shocking to read about the postponed wedding. I just hope that the wedding in question will not be cancelled.

 

[Tatiana Maria]

Regarding the financial dispute: Kayo Komuro says the 4 million Yen was a gift while her ex-fiance insists the money was a loan. [Jiji]

I suppose that if the tabloids treat the Komuro family's dispute as a scandal, it may have overshadowed the engagement ceremony, but the wedding was not scheduled to be held until November 2018.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2...k-preparation-imperial-household-agency-says/

“The intention of the two to get married hasn’t changed at all. (The postponement) isn’t because of the report,” said Takaharu Kaji, an Imperial Household Agency official.

Another senior agency official said the postponement should be seen in a positive way.

“If there is any trouble, it should be resolved, and then the two should get married. Time can be used to further strengthen their bonds,” the official said.

Whose trouble is being invoked by the senior agency official: the Komuro family's or the couple's?

 

[Jacknch]

I must admit, I am rather taken by surprise at this news and somewhat confused.

From the statements made by the couple during their engagement interview, they spoke very lovingly and poetically about one another. It would surprise me if something had happened between them to make them want to postpone the wedding. But the idea of having rushed into the engagement is unusual for me - the official announcement was already postponed giving them extra time to think about how they want to proceed.

I'm quite sure it wouldn't be a financial reason because they would know their financial status last year when they got engaged, unless Kei is heading for a promotion and feels he wants to concentrate on that.

Had the reason been related to the abdication then it was already known the abdication would take be taking place at some point and the engagement wouldn't have been announced until matters relating to the abdication had been resolved.

Ultimately we can only imagine and I sincerely hope the marriage eventually goes ahead as they are a lovely, sweet couple.

 

[akina21]

Maybe Naruhito wants to see change to the rule that girls lose their titles after marriage.

 

[Mbruno]

Maybe Naruhito wants to see change to the rule that girls lose their titles after marriage.

That thought crossed my mind too.

 

[Somebody]

Very surprised about this news. I don't believe the 'we are too immature and need more preparation time'. Wondering whether the household has pressured the couple to postpone (by at least 1 1/2 year, so until after all the important ceremonies) or that it was the family, or whether there are upcoming changes by which the female members of the family will indeed stay royals after marriage which means they would need more time to figure things out. However, the fact that it apparently comes shortly after problems within the groom's family that were known to the media and that are actively denied, suggests that that might be the real reason. Strange story for sure.

 

[Moonmaiden23]

They waxed so completely poetic about one another during their engagement interview that I almost swooned....he was the Sun, she was the Moon. Perfect, right?

What a crashing thud back to Earth.

 

[AdmirerUS]

Maybe Naruhito wants to see change to the rule that girls lose their titles after marriage.

This makes sense to me. Though I am not sure this will actually change any time soon, whatever the polls say. But I do think all this at the same time as as the Emperor's transition is a lot to juggle.

 

[CrownPrincessJava]

My take - Government may have pressured this decision - why? They need to payout Princess Mako and pay for abdication/enthronment ceremonies. That is a lot of money in a short amount of time.

 

[rominet09]

I can't believe it ! I can't believe préparations taking years......

 

[dgtns]

They waxed so completely poetic about one another during their engagement interview that I almost swooned....he was the Sun, she was the Moon. Perfect, right?

What a crashing thud back to Earth.

My take - Government may have pressured this decision - why? They need to payout Princess Mako and pay for abdication/enthronment ceremonies. That is a lot of money in a short amount of time.

How much money does the government pay for her to leave the family, is it considered a dowry? How much?

 

[JR76]

How much money does the government pay for her to leave the family, is it considered a dowry? How much?

From what I remember Swedish media reported when Kiko married that the amount she received wasn't even enough to buy her a decent sized flat in one of Tokyo's better neighbourhoods.

 

[AdmirerUS]

That is just so sad. I've always admired her spirit and love of learning.

 

[Prisma]

I doubt the delay is related to female Imperial branches or succession. Those proposals attached to the abdication bill did not specify a timeline or require results so legislation is not imminent. I recall the bill mentioned the government should discuss stable succession, female Imperial branches, and other issues after abdication. It's simply an item on the government's to-do list that’s unlikely to get prioritized.

The mother's financial dispute is unfortunate but not a terrible obstacle. Of course I don't know how much trouble the weekly magazines are causing in Japan. The top news media (Asahi, NHK, Sankei, etc.) didn't report the dispute until the marriage postponement.

How much money does the government pay for her to leave the family, is it considered a dowry? How much?

Her aunt Sayako Kuroda received about $1.2 million
A distant cousin Noriko Senge received 106.75 million Yen ($973,560)
IHA already included the upper limit of 153 million Yen ($1,395,360) for Princess Mako in the fiscal 2018 budget request. The Imperial Economic Council would have determined the final amount.

 

[dgtns]

Thank you

Great information, Ihad no idea what level of allotment they were discussing.

 

[Lady Nimue]

Something about the stated reasons doesn't pass the smell test for me. My gut feeling--and I emphasize, this is a comment based on nothing but personal instinct and past observations of how this family works--is that either something pretty messy has happened between the two of them and they aren't sure if they want to get married anymore or folks at the IHS have come to feel for some reason that it's selfish for her to leave the Imperial Family before taking part in whatever ceremonies they have planned for the abdication/transition. But I don't believe that this couple who have been dating for five years and who would have been publically engaged for 1+ year by the time of the scheduled wedding are suddenly worried that they're rushing things.

Agree. Especially this: "On the postponement the princess said, 'It is because of our immaturity and we just regret it.' " Wow! That's a big statement. You don't just *suddenly* find out about immaturity, unless there has been a significant falling out between the couple (as mentioned), or a discovery by either of them regarding possible straying by the other.

It sounds like the engagement will be called off eventually. JMO.

 

[Somebody]

I don't know much about Japanese culture but could it also mean 'we've been immature that we put our own interests (i.e., we'd like to get married) before the imperial family's interest (i.,e., how dare we think about asking them to prepare our wedding while they have more important stuff to do, such as preparing an abdication and the inauguration of a new emperor)'?

Still, why would that come up so suddenly?

 

[carina_a]

In my point of view, the postponing due to 'lack of preparation' and 'immaturity' is definitely a front. The real reason, I suspect, is probably between:

1. New issues/scandals arising from the groom's family that is causing serious reconsideration of this marriage, but they want to avoid saying outright that the engagement is broken immediately.

2. There might be a chance of changing the laws regarding female's succession right, title, finance etc. after the abdication in 2019, so they want to wait it out.

Either way, all the best wishes to Princess Mako ?

 

[camelot23ca]

My guess is that something major happened that affected the couple’s personal relationship - one of them messed up somehow - or something came to light about either the groom himself or his family that was concerning.

On the other hand, dating is different than marriage, even if the relationship is a long term one, and they are quite young. Maybe they just genuinely aren’t ready, especially, if news of the engagement leaked before they were planning to announce, as Mako seems to imply.

My guess, though, is that this is a soft lead in to quietly canceling the engagement.

 

[Countessmeout]

Wow surprising news. I guess technically not cancelled, but a 2 year postponement is a huge step. Lack of time to prepare seems to be odd at the best. They had a year between engagement and their planned wedding, at least twice as long as usual royal engagements last. I don't see any wedding needing 3 years worth of planning. Also the lack of maturity seems questionable at best. That sounds like something parents decide, and it feels like something they would have said before the couple became engaged, like suggesting they wait for longer.

It would be nice if it was about the succession laws. They really do need to change those, even if only male preference. With only 1 male in the next generation, they have serious issues. Mako has proven to be quite a valuable asset to the family since coming of age. Many of the royal women are, and it would be sad to see any of them leave the royal house.

So it seems either it is 1. the scandal with the groom's family 2. issues around the abdication and the money spent on it.

Hope for the couple's sake if it is outside things, that their relationship does survive. Wouldn't be the first to crumble when issues have come up.

 

[Benjamin]

Tabloids say possible family financial troubles linked to Princess Mako’s fiance behind marriage delay

 

[Denville]

I don't know much about Japanese culture but could it also mean 'we've been immature that we put our own interests (i.e., we'd like to get married) before the imperial family's interest (i.,e., how dare we think about asking them to prepare our wedding while they have more important stuff to do, such as preparing an abdication and the inauguration of a new emperor)'?

Still, why would that come up so suddenly?

It seems very peculiar. Even with the abdication and a new emperor, surely a year would be enough to deal with that, and then they could prepare for their wedding. And there would be no need to mention immaturity which seems an odd thing for them to say EVEN if they were breaking it off completely.
If they had just decided they weren't in love, or didn't want to get married, a simple "we have decided that we did not want to marry and are breaking our engagement" would be more than enough?
surely if the "importance of the new emperor taking precedence over their wedding", was the issue, they could have said "we wish to postpone our wedding until after the new emperor has been installed and we will be cancelling our wedding plans for a year!"

 

[Tatiana Maria]

The mother's financial dispute is unfortunate but not a terrible obstacle. Of course I don't know much trouble the weekly magazines are causing in Japan. The top news media (Asahi, NHK, Sankei, etc.) didn't report the dispute until the marriage postponement.

Then I am doubtful that a pending financial scandal was the reason, the claims of IHA officials that the agency and Princess Mako's family were concerned about her marrying into a family with financial issues notwithstanding.

The government has already earmarked in the draft budget for fiscal 2018, ending next March, the 150 million yen ($1.3 million) that it pays when a female imperial family member becomes a commoner through marriage.

[…]

Although [Takaharu Kachi, the agency's supervisor of the imperial princes' household affairs] denied any link between the postponement and magazine reports about the financial issues in Komuro's family, some officials within the agency have recently become concerned about the marriage.

"If as much as this is written in magazine reports, even parents of an ordinary family would become hesitant about a marriage of their precious daughter," a senior agency official said.

"There cannot be any reason other than the magazine reports," another official said. "It's very disappointing but if this timing is missed, there would be no turning back."

The magazines has reported in the last two months that Komuro's mother has not repaid over 4 million yen she borrowed from her former fiance to pay for her son's educational expenses.

According to the magazine articles, the mother claims the money was donated to her.

Asked to verify the reports, Kachi said, "That is a matter of the Komuro family. I will decline to comment."

Princess Mako to postpone wedding due to 'lack of preparation' - The Mainichi

It seems fairly improper that the anonymous officials are being so critical of the groom's family, as they are private citizens and Princess Mako's intention to marry into that family is formally unchanged.

 

[PetticoatLane]

I read somewhere that there was apparently ''shock'' in Japan when Mako got engaged at all, with the general expectation among many that she and her sister would 'support' their brother instead. Given the well publicised shrinkage within the Japanese family, their brother could be left almost alone if all his female relatives under 30 marry out of the family, particularly if the trend of abdication catches on and his uncle decides he fancies an early retirement too.

Until such time as her little brother would marry and have grown children of his own, this would make foreign visits etc. when he is Emperor extremely difficult. The suggestion seemed to be that if Mako was allowed to marry then her sister would be too.

How terrible for them if they are to be expected to remain unmarried for the best part of their lives. If a situation such as this is not enough to convince the Japanese right wing that change is necessary then perhaps nothing will.

 

[Pranter]

Heavens it's almost like Victorian England (or even further back)...one daughter expected to remain a spinster to take care of her parents etc.


LaRae