Full Text of Statements made by Mako and Kei Komuro at Their Press Conference

 

 

Mako(30), the eldest daughter of the Akishino family, and Kei Komuro (30) held a press conference on the same day to register their marriage. Their oral remarks were as follows:

 

Mako: I would like to express my sympathy to the many people who are currently suffering from the continuing effects of the new coronavirus infection. I would also like to express my deepest gratitude to those who are helping those in difficulty and supporting our lives.

 

I am here today because I have something to share with you. I would like to talk about the feelings of gratitude I have had during my time as a member of the Imperial Family, the gratitude I have for those who have worried about and supported our marriage, the feelings we have had during the past events, and our thoughts on marriage.

 

Up until now, under your kind guidance, I have tried to fulfill my duties as a member of the Imperial Family as carefully as I could in my own way.

 

For the past thirty years, I have been helped, watched over, and supported by many people. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all those who have worked with me wholeheartedly. In every place I visited, many people welcomed me with kind words and smiles. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all those who extended their warmth to me, whether I had the chance to meet them in person or not. I cannot begin to express how important these encounters have been to me. This is a feeling that will never change.

 

I understand that there are many different ways of thinking about Kei and I's marriage. I am very sorry to those who have been inconvenienced by this. I am also grateful to those who have been quietly concerned for me and to those who have not been misled by information that is not based on fact and have continued to support Kei and me.

 

Kei is an irreplaceable person to me. And for us, marriage was a necessary choice in order to live our lives while carefully protecting our hearts.

 

Kei: I love Mako. I want to spend my one and only life with the person I love. We have shared many feelings together and encouraged each other through both happy and not-so-happy times.

 

I am very sorry to all those who have been inconvenienced by this marriage.

 

We have been through a lot, but it is thanks to Mako and the people who have supported us that we have been able to maintain our desire to live our lives together with her. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude.

 

 

Mako: Until today, my opportunities to speak publicly have been limited. I think there were some misunderstandings that arose because of this. As some of you know, since the news about the engagement came out, Mr. Kei has never acted on his own. For example, the way we dealt with Kei's mother's former fiancé was carried out in the direction I requested. As for Kei's study abroad, I asked him to move up him future plans to study abroad and to establish a base overseas. I was not able to provide any support for her study abroad, but I am grateful that she made the effort under such difficult circumstances.

 

Whenever I heard one-sided speculations about Kei's actions, such as criticism that she was acting arbitrarily and did not consider my feelings, I was terrified and saddened to see that false information was somehow taken up as if it were an undeniable fact and spread as an untrue story. It was a painful and sad experience for me. I am grateful to those who continued to believe in Ms. Kei despite the difficult circumstances.

 

 

Kei: The details of the alleged financial troubles between my mother and my ex-fiancee were announced in April of this year. As I wrote in the document I released, my mother and I have thanked my ex-fiancee from time to time, and I am still grateful to him.

 

In April of this year, I proposed that we settle the case by handing over the settlement money, and he replied that it was important for him to meet with my mother. However, my mother has been suffering from mental health problems and has been put on doctor's orders to meet with her ex-fiancee. Therefore, I wanted to handle the situation on her behalf, and I informed her of this through her attorney. I have received a positive response from my ex-fiancee through a reporter from a weekly magazine who is her contact person. I would like to respond as best I can to help resolve the issue. My desire to receive the resolution money has not changed.

 

I am very saddened to hear that Mako has been suffering from mental and physical problems due to the continuous slander and defamation over the past few years, in which false information was treated as if it were fact. My mother also suffered physical and mental problems and was forced to quit her job, and she lives in fear for her life.

 

I am very grateful to the many people who have helped us through this difficult time.

 

I would like to build a warm family with Mako. At the same time, I would like to continue to support Mako in any way I can. I want to continue to be an irreplaceable presence that can be there for each other in times of happiness and in times of discomfort.

 

 

Mako: The two of us will be starting a new life together. I am sure that there will be difficulties in different ways as we live our lives. However, as we have done in the past, I hope that we can work together and walk together. We have been able to move forward faithfully following our hearts because of each other and the people who have encouraged and supported us. I believe that there are many people who are hurting right now because they are finding it difficult to live while protecting their hearts. I sincerely hope that with the warm help and support of the people around us, we can create a society where more people can live while carefully protecting their hearts.