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Princess Mako to get engaged

39 Comments
By YURI KAGEYAMA

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39 Comments
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The sea recognises no prince. All men are equal in her eyes.

27 ( +28 / -1 )

"Once she marries, Mako will no longer be a princess and will become a commoner."

Better a wealthy commoner with freedom than a robot left to regurgitate scripted nonsense and have your every thought and move dictated by bureaucrats.

19 ( +22 / -3 )

Not the 1st to marry a commoner and lose her Title.

Best of luck to them.

11 ( +11 / -0 )

Once she marries, Mako will no longer be a princess and will become a commoner.

I'll bet she can't wait.

11 ( +14 / -3 )

Hirohito was viewed as divine, and no one had even heard his voice....

So how did he issue his daily orders to his staff? Semaphore?

8 ( +9 / -1 )

Until Japan's defeat at the end of World War II, Hirohito was viewed as divine, and no one had even heard his voice.

"no one" should read "most people": Hirohito wasn't mute and did communicate by speaking to people.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Thanks for the history lesson at the end of the article which had nothing to do with the news itself.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

She should enter politics. Japan needs young people with experience thinking outside the box

What 'experience thinking outside the box' do you think she has?

Sad that she won't be able to stay in contact with her family

I don't think 'no longer a princess' means she has to cut all ties with her family. Princess Nori, who became Mrs Kuroda when she married, apparently still takes part in family activities.

without the royal courts of old that pretty soon they will all die out

You say that as if it were a Bad Thing.

Young people falling in love and starting a shared life is a very good thing. Congratulations to the couple.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

I'm a commoner...what are my chances of getting a princess ?

2 ( +3 / -1 )

I think it's just great! As a frequent visitor I can compare the relatively serene public face of the Royal Family to the scandals of the British royals, not to mention the goings on in America! Congratulations to them both!

2 ( +4 / -2 )

The sea recognises no prince. All men are equal in her eyes

What a brilliant post.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Nice they met in a kisaten.  Very traditional.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

and they have been dating several times a month recently, NHK said.

Never a good idea to marry someone you've never lived with, Kei, just sayin'!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

She should enter politics. Japan needs young people with experience thinking outside the box.

1 ( +6 / -5 )

Hi borscht, I read Kei Komuro is employed at a Solicitors chambers in Yokohama. I am sure cupid arrow has worked it magic.

Excited for both Princess Mako and Kei Komuro. There is nothing like a wedding to realize fully who and how many relatives one has.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Good luck to them both. At least she has a means to escape the gilded cage, unlike some.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Good ...All the best to the both of them. ..

1 ( +1 / -0 )

"Prince of the Sea" - Jeebus, talk about infatuation...

1 ( +1 / -0 )

How many prince and princesses are left in Japan?  It would seem that in this day and age, without the royal courts of old that pretty soon they will all die out or marry out unless they begin to do as in olden times and marry within the family the way they have the laws written now.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

I know things are hard in the world of journalism, but this is all over the place.

From the Japanese press, the guy Kei Komuro sounds like he modeled for a tourism campaign a few years ago promoting beaches as "Prince of the Sea". It is cute trivia about him, not his job.

It sounds like he works for a law firm but is not qualified as a lawyer. Before attending ICU, he went to International Schools. Mako sama herself went to Leicester University for a year.

(if they are the symbol of the country, why is the Japanese royal family going to a Christian university? I would have guessed that kunaicho wouldn't allow it to please the "nihonjin de yokatta, raise the hinomaru in your heart" nationalists at the Shinto shrine association)

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Her younger brother, third in line to the throne, is, I believe, the last male descendant of that particular line. The Crown Prince, Prince Akihito, and then the young Prince Hisahito.

Aside from the current emperor’s brother, even some of his male cousins are deceased.

I also wonder fatherly what the husband's job is; it sounds as if he might be independently wealthy and using this tourism promotion job as a pretend job? Maybe JapanToday can do a little investigating?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

The title of the article seems wrong to me. Isn't she already engaged?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Congrats to the happy couple. But she'll be no more a "commoner" than I'll be a royal...

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Arr, Captain!

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Is it possible that the Japanese imperial line - including the cadet branches - might one day become extinct if the women either remain childless or lose their royal status - and so their male children's - by marrying commoners?

I don't think that would be "allowed" to happen, but ...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I hope the media leaves this couple alone so they can enjoy life together. Somehow I just don't see that being the case.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Bowing repeatedly, wearing a suit and tie

Is it is it necessary to say that? Why do they feel they have to try so hard to make this guy look good?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

No The young women will became a part of the Elite society; big difference on the social latter between commoner and Elite.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Why do they feel they have to try so hard to make this guy look good?

Why do you feel mentioning his wearing a suit and tie is an attempt to make him 'look good'? Clothes maketh the man?

When my SiL isn't in uniform he dresses a bit like a rapper in faded torn jeans and baggy tops, but the day he came round to ask for her hand (more accurately, to tell us, not ask....) he dressed in the regulation suit and tie. He looked very uncomfortable and we thought it was rather sweet, but it didn't change our impression of him - we already liked him. (He's a very good SiL, and more importantly an excellent husband and father). I hope Mr. Komoro is an aisaika ikumen, too.

Both are 25. Could spell trouble 20 years down the line.

Why? You think mid-twenties don't know what they want?

She might outgrow him or he might outgrow her.

Then again they might very well grow together. I hope they do.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I'm so pleased she has made her own choice in a husband and has not been forced to marry someone her parents chose for her. Maybe Japan is changing after all, but arranged marriages still do happen. Best of luck to them. He has some big shoes to fill though.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Once she marries, Mako will no longer be a princess and will become a commoner.

Kind of primitive but congrats to her!

I used to have a problem with the idea of 'royals' and 'commoners'. It's an idea of looking down on people but as I grew up, I realised looking down on royals isn't what decent people should do.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Both are 25. Could spell trouble 20 years down the line. She might outgrow him or he might outgrow her. Then again this might be fate calling. Whatever, its good to see young people in love. Long live. Long love.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Congratulations! Sad that she won't be able to stay in contact with her family but it's not like she isn't going to leave poor. When Noriko sama left, I believe she received something in the neighborhood 1億円。 So she wont exactly be poor either, and I am sure the family was checked out too!

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

Once she marries, Mako will no longer be a princess and will become a commoner.

Kind of primitive but congrats to her!

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

Good for them. Glad to see AP editors on the ball so we don't read his actual interests are to play ski and cook ocean animals (oh yeah, and date princesses!)

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

If I were in her situation (a young, beautiful, royal, college grad) I'd go out and see the world before getting hitched to the first person who whispered sweet nothings. She could travel and meet other royals and get engaged to one of them.

-8 ( +4 / -12 )

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