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© KYODOPrincess Mako's boyfriend arrives from U.S. for wedding
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blvtzpk
Worst bachelor party ever.
Kag
They pulled a Prince Harry
GdTokyo
As a commoner, I hope that she says publicly what she actually thinks about the Imperial Household Agency interfering in her personal affairs.
Seems pretty obvious that the Agency threw up one roadblock after another in the hope that they would abandon their plans.
Since she won't be beholden to their gift (silence) money (bribe), she should feel free to speak her mind.
Yubaru
Fiancé would be a more appropriate word here!
Yubaru
Never going to happen! While it would be nice, dont hold your breath, she is far too classy for lowering herself to their level!
Paul
He came back to Japan with that pony tail, shows he doesn't care about royal decorum nor putting up with the BS, now that they have publicly announced the marriage. The royals must be flipping their lids right now, to say the least. I love it!!!
snowymountainhell
Not quite, yet @Yubaru 5:22pm: “Fiancé would be a more appropriate word here!” -
*- [***Komuro and the princess met in 2012 as students at International Christian University in Tokyo and were unofficially engaged in September 2017.**]
AND
[The Imperial Household Agency is planning to forgo the usual rites associated with imperial family members' weddings, such as an official engagement ceremony called Nosai no Gi, and a Choken no Gi event to officially meet with the emperor and empress prior to marriage.]IF the IHA is passing on past, traditional Japanese decorum, IF they’re going “Western-style”, perhaps Komuro still needs ‘to put a ring on Mako’s finger’. Some would say he still has to ask ‘the father & mother’ to get their ‘blessing/approval.
Paul
You didn't read the article, have you.
Cricky
Not just the Royals the IHA, Nippon Kaigie, and the Right wing flipping a fuse in their heads Now they are loosing a huge popular figure to a Happy life in America. His hair cut has absolutely nothing to do do with anything. Just wait for her/ their interview on 60 minutes. I’m sure the haircut won’t be the topic.
snowymountainhell
Wonder if Mako-san gets one more[?] ‘night out with the girls’ @blvtzpk 4:52pm?: “Worst bachelor party ever.” - (Also, wonder if they’ll be serving hot-dogs. (“RIP”, Tawny Kitaen)
ozellis
Excellent news. Had been waiting for the invite....which can't be too far away.
Should have I gone to the airport?
The Nomad
Couldn't he get a nice haircut before getting on the plane? Guess his in laws are happy to see him like that.
And no quarantine in hotel for 14 days?
Blacklabel
yeah, I agree. Dude could have at least gotten a haircut.
koiwaicoffee
Haircut looks great on him. Not wanting to shave his head for the incoming ceremonies is also a nice touch.
Good for them!
ShinkansenCaboose
if there is a NY style bachelor and engagement party I hope they serve blintzes, knish, doughnuts, and Gefilte fish. Macaroons for desert.
It would really show he knows his new soon to be NY roots.
And pizza for the morning rush.
What was his BAR results? I wonder why he did not go to Columbia? Fordham and Columbia not the best of neighborhoods, but Columbia would have golden spooned him better.
I hope they can live out of the limelight like the rest of us here. In America he will blend in.
Good luck folks. Hope they have a good life.
itsonlyrocknroll
I thought the ponytail, man bun thing is a witticism, if my eyes aren't deceiving me there is also a couple of hairy lamb chops attached to the side of his head,
The most obvious danger of a man bun, it has a habit of mobility, settling on the top of head.
Kei Komuro, could be mistaken on arrival in Tokyo as a hopeful for Arashi comeback tour.
What was he thinking? .
The air hostess can't bring herself to even take a glance.
itsonlyrocknroll
First impression are the most important, Kei Komuro is not engaged to Miley Cyrus.
The daughter of the Fumihito, Prince Akishino, Crown Prince of Japan.
Respect, totally inappropriate.
itsonlyrocknroll
Princess Mako is the most important person here.
It is rash naivety to believe that the press/media will not notice.
Heck, maybe Princess approves?
Spartan J
A thought.
His appearance, pony tail, etc, implies, care free, Western influence?? At least.
She, likely very conservative, not so care free, if correct.
Last thought, comparability??
Not trying to stereotype.
Yubaru
Where in the heck are you living? Only royalty follow the "official" engagement ceremonies mentioned here.
"Commoners" have a different way, and either way they are STILL considered "konyakusha" or fiancé
dmhondz
People making a fuzz about his pony tail, what more if he removed his masks and shown his mustache and beard?
Cricky
It’s a huge crack in the wall, may the wall fall.
itsonlyrocknroll
This just dropped into my mailbox.......
Lowenstein Sandler.
Kei Komuro ...Law Clerk
https://www.lowenstein.com/people/attorneys/kei-komuro
I guess the right on countenance comes part and parcel with the role.
itsonlyrocknroll
Well, I like to gossip, us girls get together for our Izakaya Fridays, chit chat, jaw jaw, politics, you name it this Friday the subject matter?
Well guess what?.
The soon to be Royal Wedding.
1glenn
Best wishes to them.
Will there be a soap opera based on their lives?
Mr Kipling
Does anyone know if they are sending out the invitations by e-mail or regular post? Only asking as I haven't received mine yet.
Steelfine
As Kag mentioned, maybe they will really pull a Prince Harry and have a series on Netflix too. Free at last.
Stewart Gale
Two week quarantine?
snowymountainhell
Only quoted what’s written above. Perhaps you should read the JT article @Yubaru 6:31pm.? No other media than South China Morning Post is referring to Komuro, at this point, as “fiancé”. The Kyodo/JT article specifically states “the 29-year-old boyfriend of Princess Mako*” AND “unofficially engaged”. - *Neither of those qualify as a fiancé.
https://www.scmp.com/?linker=1%2a99ukrg%2aclientId%2ackNDOWdDeFhsSk1qWUpQWXdQS1RsMXgxZVVqU1ZybnIyU1RrOWNqNGxEc1pnLUFCM3REY0V4RlZlWXpfWnRfZg..&_gl=1%2a38gcmz%2a_ga%2aYW1wLUxVY1NYcklBNDNOdmZsQ2pacEphTXR2ZDA4UmhfRU9jblBaNTBvaWplcGFMMVVFbHlKY3R3dElqeE8wWTRaQjI
mz16
Would she have a last name (before she gets married)?
ShinkansenCaboose
@ Kipling. Invitations by FAX only. Get with the times..
garypen
They are deceiving you, as he is sporting fairly well-trimmed sideburns, not "lamb chops".
BTW, the correct term for large, bushy sideburns is "mutton chops".
itsonlyrocknroll
Princess Mako is being effectively launched from penthouse to pavement.
I feel this is reflective in the conservatism within the heart of J society that discriminates against women's empowerment.
My huff puff with Kei Komuro is attitude. Not haircuts.
He should have been more wily, more enlightened. more pragmatic.
Get a haircut, grow it out/back later. Lose the lamb chop sideburns. Invest in a decent suit.
Grit your teeth, think of Princess Mako.
My J family can turn silence into a discreet form of attrition. You must show complete respect.
kurisupisu
To think that this is even news?
itsonlyrocknroll
garypen, ok duly corrected, mutton chops.
My father grew a pair once, chops I am referring too.
My mother threatened to shave them off while he slept, with his wet razor.
They are 1970's, he shaved them off the next day.
It is not the hair or the sideburns, mutton, lamb or liver. It is the need to, at the very least to portray acceptance of the situation and adapt accordingly
When in Rome.
Princess Mako has given up everything.
Moving totally out of her comfort zone.
From the time Kei Komuro plane landed in Tokyo, Kei Komuro should have presented the very definition of conformity for Princess Mako.
He should have been bright eyed and bushy tailed.
He should have been stated his love, and devotion.
* *Cricky
Can’t wait for the Oprah interview.
gogogo
Pony tail?
albaleo
It looks more ronin influenced to me.
Nibek32
Still can’t believe he landed her on a tinder date.
NOMINATION
She isn't marrying a free speaking woke bandwagoner American like Harry, sorry!
HBJ
So they were concerned about a debt of 4 million yen, but we’re willing to give them a payment of 150 million yen. What utter nonsense.
Kei, get out of here as fast as you can!!
Samit Basu
Everyone should congratulate him, not curse him.
He obviously comes from a severely disadvantaged background(The primary reason why Japanese public is against this marriage), yet worked his ass off to get somewhere, become a lawyer in New York, and won the heart of a princess.
So from my perspective Kei Komuro is more of a man than 99% of people commenting here.
Samit Basu
@mz16
None. Her passport name would be Komuro Mako, per Japanese legal norm.
ReynardFox
I’m starting to question the average literacy of this website’s commenters
Richard Gallagher
Fordham is an excellent school. As is the Law School. It is academically very rigorous. More so than Columbia.
roninroshi
With the calamities raging world wide…why is this news? And BTW it’s a ‘man bun’ not a ponytail!
shogun36
So who’s providing the body guards?
It’s not the royal family.
They are about to disown the princess.
Is he paying them on his own dime?
Can’t be, there’s that whole “debt issue.”
Must be the people that convinced him that the pony tail was a good idea?
Other websites showing he had at least a half dozen suits around him.
Something is very suspect about all of this, and it’s not just the pony tail.
Alan Harrison
You are not out of the woods yet Kei. Your fiance's mother will have something up her sleeve. Be careful, and be cool.
Yrral
Do he have legal right to live in the US, only ICE know this,immigration is hell for an American, trying to get his wife in America, she may have to wait in line for a consular interview, if they still have a young lawyer make less than 100 K, if he not passed the car Google US Spousal Visa Requirements
philly1
Yes. Exactly. Power dynamics (aka bullying) 101. Manipulation by passive aggression. Ergo emotional abuse.
Show respect, you advise. Hmm. Expose your throat, you mean.
There are other choices. Not easy ones, but choices all the same.
Samit Basu
@Yrral
Komuro has a New York legal license and is working for a New York law firm, I am sure he got an H1 visa. After 6 years, he would probably return to Japan and advise Japanese firms operating in the US.
Peter Neil
He does not have a license, since the results of the bar exam he took in July will not be announced until December. I don't think it's December yet, but I might be wrong.
And the soon-to-be ex-princess can simply walk across the Rio Grande now and have legal status in the US. There is no need anymore for the passport, and all of the other stuff. Just walk in.
Noriyon73
Why does the press refer to him as "boyfriend?" They are not minors. It should be fiance.
Maria 'Bing' Velasquez Reid
I do trust she will not be like those ingrate members of monarchy - which to this day I only know of 1.
She is very good and I have faith in knowing they understand everything they chose to do.
Best wishes on her brave decision!
TARA TAN KITAOKA
This guy better live up to his promises.
Luddite
Princess Mako’s fiance, not boyfriend.
kaimycahl
**Talking about a guy parents not being able to pay his college tuition to one arriving back to Japan with a ponytail and a security detail to take him to the promise land!!! Something is wrong with this privileged crap!.**
Wearing a suit without a necktie and his long hair tied back in a ponytail, Komuro arrived at Narita airport at around 3:30 p.m. and bowed to reporters, flanked by security guards, amid huge media attention
The princess will not receive money but is expected to move from the imperial residence to a Tokyo in condo!!! Wow I wonder if the Japanese citizens will pay for her security detail while living in the US? Just because he will be a lawyer in the US doesn't mean he will make great money but being away from Japan I am sure he will not be working in a law firm in the US I can bet it will have ties to Japan.
After submitting legal papers to register the marriage, the princess is expected to move from her imperial residence to a Tokyo condo while preparing for the new life in the United States.
Kimberley
Good for them. Also, ponytail or no, Komuro was treated like a grifter and a conman, when he simply fell in love with someone from a different class. The proffered lump sum was rejected, and said rejection was accepted, well before he flew over. Let them live their lives; she's willing to give up her golden cage, and he's worked hard for his career.
kurisupisu
I still wonder why this superficiality is still news?
Yubaru
Right, and they are expected to be married within a couple of months. I guess only people with common sense can see that he is her fiancé
I suppose from your point of view they will be "unofficially" engaged until the day they marry!
Oh keep in mind, it's not the press that decides it, nor the royal family either, since they are not holding any official ceremonies regarding it. Don be fooled by what you read in the press!
quercetum
The Japanese news refers to Komuro as Komuro-san who “is proceeding with plans to marry Mako-sama” or “scheduled to be marry” Mako-sama. I didn’t not see “boyfriend” in the Japanese news.
quercetum
“scheduled to marry”
snowymountainhell
Good pint @Luddite 3:39am but we can’t necessarily fault the local media here, just ‘towing the line to get continued access with the kisha. - According to sources with the Japanese National Press Club (NihonKishaKurabu), “members & affiliates are requested to continue to refer to Mr. Komuro as Mako-san’s “boyfriend” and not as “fiancé” UNTIL the marriage is officially registered.”-
Perhaps China & their allies are the only referring to Komuro as the “fiancé” at this time, possibly in the hopes that IF the couple’s expressed intentions to marry are turned, it will bring further shame to the IHA and Japan.
Desert Tortoise
At least lend him the dignity of calling him the princesses fiancee. They are going to be married after all.
Desert Tortoise
Oh the horror of it all ! The mind simply reels.
Desert Tortoise
How can you possibly know what her personal "comfort zone" is? She has lived and studied in the UK, traveled abroad, has a drivers license and did relief work after the Kohoku Earthquake without revealing her identity. Maybe the royal household is her discomfort zone? We don't know so leave her alone to live her own life.
Tom San
All the suicides on Komuro's side of the family is of moreconcern than a "ponytail".
Seesaw7
Pony tailed bridegroom. In a Royal wedding. Wow? Royal family has changed !
Johansawada
Happy for the two love birds… very soon they can live in freedom in the good ole US of A….
Ubesh
Can we watch the royal wedding?
Yubaru
There wont be a royal wedding! They are doing what many people here do, register their marriage at the city office and that's it! They will be officially married!
Wedding ceremonies are just for show, nothing "official" about them!
Chico3
Hey! If worse comes to worse, they can get hitched in Vegas or Tijuana.
John-San
Don't hold out for the Princess to bad mouth anyone publicly. But I bet the Princess has dumped on Imperial House management. Why go and live in the USA. You can get that culture here. It is limit but it the same. Unless the Princess is into totting a armed 45 colt around strapped to her hip and random massacres but I doubt it.
JapanJim
The "ponytail" is nothing. Have you seen the tattoo?
itsonlyrocknroll
I don't, Desert Tortoise, it is a comment, a humble personal opinion, not a papal bull, an observation.
I will say again, Princess Mako has given up everything, the titles, the privileges, life style, even the lump sum lump-sum payment. It is not a personal "comfort zone" it is a fact.
Princess Mako has had to settle for a registry office wedding.
Another fact.
*jennadar
Apparently for the Japanese people it's not just about the money owed. Their rumors/open secrets seem to be that:
・Kei Komuro's mother is a pension/benefit-swindling, yakuza-related widow who has so far had 4 people dead ; her husband was found burnt and carbonized near the Tama River, his father was found hanged a week later, his mother died 'by suicide' about a year later, then about 15 years later her ex-yakuza boyfriend died of some unexplained cause (Btw she tried to be the sole beneficiary of her then-fiance's life insurance and complained about the amount being small)
・Kei Komuro bullied a boy(, who then had to go to a different junior high school) and a girl(, who then had to quit senior high school), used his then-girlfriend's credit card and got chased away by her father, preferred Mako's better-looking little sister but couldn't approach her, insisted on NOT paying back the 40 grand spent for his college to his mom's ex-fiance, and lied in his resumes for the law school and the law firm.
・Mako jumpkicked her classmate from behind out of the blue in the hallway of her elementary school to laugh and run away, cut in lines for elevators and/or toilets at her high school, had Kei Komuro keep her company during her official visit to Europe and spent about 600 grand of taxpayers' money, pressured the ex-fiance of Kei Komuro's mother into letting go of the 40 grand the mom borrowed for her son's college, and now is all about herself getting married by the age of 30 and enjoying her life
・Mako's father exercised his "royal" power and got Kei Komuro a job at a bank he was underqualified for(, which he quit in less than 2 years), got him enrolled in a grad school he was ineligible for, got him a job at a law firm he was inapt for, then sent him to a third-tier law school in New York he was unqualified for, gave him another job at a law firm he was underqualified for and now is ready to pay for the expensive and extravagant life in NY of Kei Komuro, Mako and her pension/benefit-swindling, yakuza-related stepmother with taxpayers' money.
So the Japanese people have been waiting for Kei's, his mother's, Mako's and her parents' explanations for (and grieving for their staying silent about) the perturbing stories.
TARA TAN KITAOKA
I support Princess mako.