Royal Pain: Japan's Ex-Princess Mako Shares Horrifying Part Before Marrying Commoner Boyfriend

By Alexandria Reeves

Japan's Princess Mako, who left her position as a royal member of the Imperial Family, broke her silence following her marriage to commoner Komuro Kei.

On Tuesday, the former princess sat down for an interview with the press and acknowledged the questions surrounding her decision to get married to a non-royal. They faced the public soon after holding their marriage earlier that day.

The event marked their first media appearance since September 2017 when Mako addressed the defamation and slander the Imperial Family suffered from.

According to Mako, Kei is irreplaceable to her that they chose to get married to live their lives the way they wanted while protecting their hearts. The now-husband, for his part, thanked everyone who supported them on their path to marriage.

"Kei was said to have made decisions only by himself and there were one-sided speculations saying that he was ignoring my own feelings. I was horrified, scared, and saddened by the fact that false information has been taken as fact and that unfounded stories have spread," she said via NHK Japan.

The couple did not answer further questions during the conference, but they offered statements based on the questions they received in advance.

The Imperial Household Agency revealed that the intense media and public scrutiny caused the former princess to suffer from complex post-traumatic stress disorder.

Mako, Komuro's Journey Was Not Easy

The now-newlyweds first laid their eyes on each other when they met as students at the International Christian University in Tokyo. They dated for five years before announcing their engagement in 2017.

Unfortunately, their marriage plans got canceled as the media released information about Komuro's mother's financial troubles.

In 2018, the man decided to move to the US, where he studied law, leaving Mako in Japan. For years, they remained silent on the issue until Komuro returned to Japan after becoming part of a law firm in New York. The Household Agency then confirmed their marriage after waiting for years.

Instead of doing the traditional ceremonies, Mako and Komuro decided not to follow the process in an imperial marriage. The former princess also refused to receive the $1.3 million that a female Imperial Family member is eligible to receive.

Mako and Komuro will move to New York once the former princess secures her passport and visa. She will also work in New York, where her husband will start working once he receives positive results in the US bar exam.