Japanese Princess Mako set to marry 'Prince of the Sea'
Story highlights- Japan's imperial law covers marriage of royalty to a commoner
- Princess Mako's aunt also gave up her title after marriage
Tokyo (CNN)Japan's Princess Mako is giving up her royal status -- all in the name of love.
The groom-to-be is a prince himself ... of sorts.
The
Imperial Household tells CNN plans are underway for the 25-year-old
princess, granddaughter of Emperor Akihito, to become engaged to Kei
Komuro, also 25, a law firm worker and graduate student who once starred
in a tourism campaign as "Prince of the Sea."
The
couple met five years ago as students at the International Christian
University in Tokyo, Japan's national broadcaster NHK reported.
It
was while in university that Komuro played the "Prince of the Sea" in a
beach tourism campaign for the city of Fujisawa, south of Tokyo.
Kei Komuro, center, is interviewed by reporters in Tokyo Wednesday, May 17 2017.
Shrinking imperial family
Japan's centuries-old imperial law requires a princess to leave the imperial family upon marriage to a commoner.
The
last to do so was Princess Mako's aunt, Sayako, the only daughter of
Emperor Akhito, when she married town planner Yoshiki Kuroda in 2005.
The
engagement won't become official until a ceremonial exchange of gifts,
but the news has reignited concerns about the shrinking size of the
imperial family, which currently has 19 members, 14 of whom are female.
Imperial
law only allows the throne to be passed to male heirs, of which there
are only three: Crown Prince Naruhito, his younger brother Crown Prince
Akishino, and Akishino's son, Prince Hisahito.
In
addition to Princess Mako, there are six other unmarried princesses --
who will also lose their royal status if they marry commoners. That has
raised the possibility that the imperial family will not have enough
members to continue carrying out its public duties.
Future of the monarchy
Last summer, 83-year-old Emperor Akihito voiced concerns that his advanced age may begin to affect his ability to rule.
Akihito said that while he felt he was in good health he was worried about the increasing burden of the role.
"When
I consider that my fitness level is gradually declining, I am worried
that it may become difficult for me to carry out my duties as the symbol
of the State with my whole being as I have done until now," he said.
His
announcement followed one from the Imperial Household a few months
earlier that he and Empress Michiko, 82, would reduce their public
appearances.
Imperial law requires
an Emperor to serve for life, but Akihito's announcement put plans into
motion for the Japanese parliament to allow the Emperor to step aside
should he choose to. The draft bill for the Emperor's abdication is to
be submitted for both the upper and lower houses of parliament this
week.
'Prince of the Sea'
On Wednesday, Japanese media focused on the man who has stolen Princess Mako's heart.
Journalists camped out in front of the law offices where Kei Komuro works as a paralegal.
Komuro
declined to answer questions about the impending engagement, telling
reporters, "I would like to talk about it when the time comes."
Japanese
citizens also wanted to find out more about Komuro, flooding the
Fujisawa City Ocean Prince website, local media reported.
Reactions
from the public have so far been generally positive, but some are
wondering what the upcoming marriage will mean for the future of the
monarchy.
"I personally think a
female imperial member should be allowed (to remain in the family),"
said Meiko Hirayama, a 44-year-old employee at an accounting firm. "I
guess the male line of succession would be kept through the crown prince
and his brother, but I think there should be no problem that there
could be a female emperor someday."
But 71-year-old Katsuiji Tsunoda insisted the heir to the throne exclusively be male.
"It's
a tradition that has continued for over a thousand years. If we go with
the global trend, anyone could be the emperor," he told CNN. "We must
respect tradition."
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