Mako to marry; proposal to live with Kayo Komuro raises concerns over mother-in-law issue

Kei Komuro’s marriage in October is becoming a reality.

The newspapers are reporting that Mako (29) of the Akishino family and Kei Komuro (29), who is returning to Japan from the United States where he is staying, are expected to submit their marriage registration soon.

It has been four years …… since their informal engagement press conference in September 2005. It seems that the marriage, which seemed to have hit a dead end due to the financial troubles between Kei’s mother Kayo and her ex-fiancee, has finally made significant progress. What was the background to this?

“At his birthday press conference in November 2006, His Imperial Highness Prince Akishino had often said, “We cannot hold the ‘Nousai Ceremony,’ which is the so-called engagement ceremony, unless many people are satisfied and happy. With the troubles still unresolved, it would have been difficult for them to get married even next spring, let alone in October.

However, as has been reported, the couple will not be holding not only the “Nouai Ceremony” but also events such as the “Asami Ceremony” to express their gratitude to Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress. Mako is also said to be declining the lump-sum payment of about 140 million yen that will be given to her upon her departure from the Imperial Family. By saying that her marriage to Kei is not related to the Imperial Family, the hurdle has been lowered.

Princess Mako will turn 30 on October 23. Mako will turn 30 on October 23, and it seems that she is determined to get married before then.

“Mako gives the impression of being generous, but inside she is very strong. From the moment Prince Akishino expressed his negative opinion, he probably thought it would be difficult to have a smooth marriage and considered declining the lump sum. He was always encouraging Kei, who was being negative, to be positive.

There are two main reasons for Mako’s insistence on marriage. The first is her strong desire to leave the Imperial Family and be free. This is probably due to the fact that she studied at International Christian University (ICU), which has an open-minded school culture, rather than Gakushuin, where many members of the royal family are enrolled. Secondly, he probably thinks that if his talks with Kei break down, it will be difficult for him to get married. It would be very difficult to find a man who would come forward to be Mako’s partner if she became the center of public attention.

Kei is on his mother’s side: ……

The newlyweds are expected to live in New York, where Kei is based. Mako has registered her withdrawal in the Imperial Register, the family register of the Imperial Family. She will be busy preparing her and Kei’s family register and applying for passports. It is likely that she will leave the palace residence in Akasaka and live in Japan for a while until she goes to the United States.

“However, it may be difficult for her to live alone in a condominium in Tokyo as reported in the media, since she would have to sign a contract with a real estate company in September if she is to start living there in October. Even with the support of the Imperial Household Agency, it would be a heavy burden on Mako, who is busy applying for passports.

In the September 17 edition of “Sports Nippon” and other publications, the possibility of living together in an apartment in Yokohama where Kayo and her father live was mentioned.

“The apartment in Yokohama has been under police protection since before the couple announced their engagement. A policebox manned by police officers was also placed there. Rather than looking for a new place to live, there are many pluses in terms of security and other factors.

If Kei’s family moves in with him, he will have some things to worry about. The “mother-in-law problem” with Kayo. Critic Hiromi Ikeuchi, who is familiar with domestic troubles, says, “There were a few weeks before she went to the U.S., and she was very worried.

“I think Kayo will take very good care of Mako if she lives with her family for a few weeks before she goes to the U.S. I’m worried about the two of them. What worries me is that their relationship will become too close. Kayo will have a strong sense of confidence that her son has married one of the most noble women in Japan and that she has succeeded in raising him. My way of raising my son was not wrong. Therefore, in the future, when Mako and Kei have a child, it is highly likely that she will express her opinions on various aspects of their educational methods because of their close relationship. I hope Mako doesn’t get frustrated by his frequent comments. ……

Kayo seems to have a very strong voice in the Komuro family. Kei has also grown up trusting her mother and doing as she says. If the relationship between Princess Mako and Ms. Kayo deteriorates, Mr. Kei is likely to side with Ms. Kayo.

Mako has voluntarily chosen to leave the Imperial Family and marry Kei. We hope that her fears will turn out to be unfounded.