Engagement of a Princess

Imperial Household Agency confirmed on Tuesday that Princess Mako, 25, the elder daughter of Prince Akishino and Princess Kiko, is preparing for engagement with her school friend in International Christian University, Kei Komuro. Her parents, as well as her grand parents, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, recognize Mako’s relationship with Komuro. Mako and Komuro are expected to be having wedding as early as next year.

It will be the first wedding in four grandchildren of Emperor Akihito and in Royal Family since Noriko, daughter of late Prince Takamado, married with the son of Chief Priest of Izumo Grand Shrine in 2014. Mako is going to announce her engagement and after some ceremonies of engagement, scheduling of wedding and greeting to Emperor. Actual date for those events has not determined.

Mako has maintained her close relationship with Komuro for five years, since she met him in her college. While Komuro works for a law firm, he studies legal management at the graduate school of Hitotsubashi University. As Prince of the Sea 2010 in City of Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Komuro has been known to be a fresh and smart young man. Having experience of living abroad, he fluently speaks English and hopes to have a diplomatic job.

A female royal family has to leave Imperial House when she gets married. Royal Family will be reduced to 18 after Mako’s marriage. Cabinet led by Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda concluded the discussion over creating matrilineal Imperial family for female royal family to stay in the house and continue to work for the family in 2012. But, Shinzo Abe administration is reluctant to discuss it, supported by conservative groups that uphold paternal system of Imperial House.

It is likely that marriage of Mako will accelerate that discussion. On the news of Mako’s engagement, a staff in Prime Minister’s Official Residence realized necessity of considering a way for female royal family to continue official works for Imperial House. Emperor Akihito has only one grandson, Prince Akishino’s son Sakihito. It is concerned that Imperial House will be hard to be maintained when Sakihito will succeed throne, because of consecutive departures of female family.

While Abe administration has concluded the discussion on special law for abdication of Emperor Akihito, the issue of female royal family has been left behind. Conservative scholars argue that matrilineal family cannot be tolerated, because it does not have any example in Japanese imperial history. The conservatives hope to increase male families in any way.