Is Japanese Princess Mako set for US move, as her fiancé-to-be mulls job at New York law firm?
- Mako – the niece of Emperor Naruhito – and Kei Komuro were engaged in September 2017, but their wedding plans have been repeatedly postponed
- This is due to reports over a financial dispute concerning his mother, with analysts saying the move may give the couple privacy from prying tabloids
NHK, Japan’s national broadcaster, reported that 29-year-old Kei Komuro graduated from Fordham University School of Law in May and took the New York state bar examination last week, the results of which will be announced in December.
In April, he released a statement saying his hopes of marrying Mako, also 29, have not changed and that he wants to come to a solution over a financial “misunderstanding” concerning his mother and her former fiancé.
The former fiancé claims he loaned Komuro’s mother 4 million yen (US$36,500) between 2010 and 2012, which included payment for Komuro’s fees at Tokyo’s International Christian University, where he first met the princess.
The couple announced their engagement in September 2017, and planned to get married the following November. However, a magazine reported on the dispute later that year, leading to follow-ups from other media, including Japan’s tabloids. In February 2018, the wedding was delayed as a result of the negative publicity.
Komuro’s mother reportedly claimed the money was a gift she was not obliged to repay. Komuro has said he wants to discuss the dispute with the former fiancé, although it is yet to be resolved.
