Japanese Imperial Family Today

  ( The main article is here ) As the only daughter of Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress, Her Imperial Highness Princess Toshinomiya Aiko of Japan, celebrated her 20th birthday on the 1st, the Gakushuin, where she studied from elementary school to her current university, revealed   episodes of Aiko's life to the press. They said that Aiko had "high sensitivity and straightforward feelings" and was a friend-oriented student.   The Gakushuin Junior and Senior High School teachers responded in writing to questions from the Imperial Press Association on the occasion of Princess Aiko's birthday.   When Princess Aiko was in high school, she loved her P.E. classes and excelled at softball, a sport that both the Emperor and Empress were familiar with. At the field day, she participated in the "dribbling relay" event from the first year of junior high to the third year of high school, and won the event in the third year of high school after practicing

  ( The main article is here ) On the 1 st of December, Her Imperial Highness Princess Toshinomiya Aiko, the only daughter of Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress, celebrated her 20th birthday and became an adult member of the Imperial Family. Here is the full text of Aiko's impressions:   I am happy to have successfully reached the milestone of becoming an adult.   Looking back over the past years, I am deeply moved by the many events that have taken place, and I realize that I have been blessed with a lot of learning over the years.   At the same time, I feel deeply that I have been indebted to many people in my daily life, including my teachers and friends.   Through meeting and interacting with various people, I learned how wonderful it is when people reach out to each other and expand the circle of exchange, and all these experiences are now my assets.   I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all those who have been involved in my journey t

　 On December 1, Her Imperial Highness Princess Toshinomiya Aiko, the only daughter of Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress, celebrated her 20th birthday and became an adult member of the Imperial Family. Through the Imperial Household Agency, she announced her impressions, saying, "I would like to face each of my duties with sincerity and help Their Majesties as much as I can.” This is the first time in 32 years that an emperor's daughter has come of age since Sayako Kuroda. The public's expectations for Princess Aiko as an adult member of the Imperial Family are increasing due to the decreasing and aging number of members of the IF and public support for a female emperor or emperors of female line. ( Full text of her impressions is here )   Her impressions of Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress were, "They have raised me lovingly and carefully, and have supported me most closely at all times," and she also expressed her gratitude to the Emperor and

    His Imperial Highness Prince Akishino, the younger brother of His Majesty the Emperor and heir to the throne, celebrated his 56th birthday on the 30th. At a press conference held prior to the event, he explained the marriage of his eldest daughter, Mako, to her husband, Kei Komuro, saying, "I did not perform (the ceremony) at my own discretion.” He stated that slander on the Internet and other media "cannot be tolerated," and mentioned the need to establish standards for refuting such slander.   In the recent announcement of Mako's marriage by the Imperial Household Agency and the wedding press conference by Mako herself, there were references to "slander" and "misinformation," but they were met with a public outcry, as if they were confusing legitimate criticism with slander. In this birthday press conference, Akishino also followed the "slander of slander" line, which immediately caused a backlash on the Internet.   In

    Mako Komuro, the eldest daughter of the Akishino family, and her husband Kei Komuro have been spotted shopping and on dates in New York.   Especially, Mako’s happiness at having freedom for the first time in her life is apparent, but the money issues surrounding them are still being questioned by the Japanese public. In particular, there is the mystery of how Kei Komuro, who has had no income, was able to come up with the large amount of expenses.   Kei Komuro's major expenses, including tuition and other expenses since entering university, totaled 3,524,000 yen (about US$300,000), of which 7,369,000 yen (about US$64,000) was directly related to his most recent marriage, as calculated by Shukan Bunshun on November 25.   Here's a breakdown:   Expenses related to marriage: Travel expenses from the U.S. to Japan Kei Komuro booked economy fare for one person   ￥ 116,000 Hotel expenses for the wedding conference   ￥ 210,000 Rent for temporary residence

Her Imperial Highness Princess  Toshinomiya Aiko , the only daughter of Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress, will turn 20 years old on December 1. It has been decided that Aiko's press conference will be held at the beginning of January next year, contrary to customary practice, "Shukan Josei" reported.   Normally, the members of the Imperial Family hold their press conferences before their birthdays, but it is extremely unusual for it to be held a month after their birthdays. The reason behind this is believed to be that Mako Komuro's father, Prince Akishino, will celebrate his birthday on November 30, the day before Aiko's birthday.   There are circumstances that force them to consider what Prince Akishino said at the press conference he will hold on the occasion of his birthday, which will be announced publicly on November 30. This year, too, Akishino is expected to be asked questions by reporters about the Mako marriage scandal. Furthermore, the

This is an English translation of an article that was distributed on the Japanese internet media on the 19th of November and received high support from Japanese netizens.   What will the foreign media and Kei's employers, who are sympathetic to Kei and Mako Komuro, will think of the allegations made here?     Komuro Mystery Theater: Mysterious Source of Funds and Reason for Failing Bar Exam     by Takayuki Fujimoto (Professor, Toyo University / Doctor of Science / Media Scholar)  

    Princess Aiko At a cabinet meeting on November 16, the government decided to present the Order of the Precious Crown Princess to Aiko, the only daughter of the Emperor and Empress, who will turn 20 years old on December 1.   According to the Imperial Household Agency, in consideration of her university classes and other commitments, Aiko's adult events will be held on December 1, a weekday, and December 5, a Sunday. On December 1, she will be congratulated by the head of the Imperial Household Agency and others at the Imperial Palace in the evening, and in the evening she will join Their Majesties for a festive meal. She will then be congratulated by members of the Imperial Family and the heads of the three administrative organs on December 5, when Aiko will greet Their Majesties in a robe and décolleté, the most prestigious dress, wearing the medal she has just been awarded. At this time, Aiko will wear a tiara, a hair ornament with jewels, for the first time and show

    Mako Komuro and Kei Komuro arrived in New York, U.S.A. on November 14 and started their new life. At Kennedy International Airport, NYPD officers provided security.   What will happen to their security in the future? According to a Japanese police source quoted by "Bunshun Online" on November 14,   “In the United States, the Japanese police have no authority whatsoever. Carrying a handgun is a no-no.   If people knew that Mako was a former princess of Japan, the world's third largest economy, there was a good chance that she would be targeted by robbers or kidnappers. In the U.S., where the new coronavirus is spreading again, discrimination against Asians is said to be continuing, and there is a risk of being attacked by thugs, so security should be necessary.   However, the Japanese police cannot do anything about it. In the end, the reality is that we have no choice but to leave security to the New York Police Department and other U.S. police a

    The couple, Mako and Kei Komuro, left Japan for New York, U.S.A. shortly after 10 a.m. on April 14.   The flight is scheduled to take about 12 hours and 40 minutes, and they are expected to arrive at the airport in New York around 11:00 pm Japan time tonight  (9:00 a.m. NYT 14) .   The two are expected to lead a new life together, with Kei working at a law firm in New York and aiming to pass the bar exam next February, while Mako supports him.

    On November 12, "direct negotiations" were held between Kei Komuro (30) and Mr. A, the former fiancée of Mr. Komuro's mother, Kayo, with whom he had a financial dispute. The two sides agreed on a settlement payment from Kei Komuro, and the trouble was settled. 　 Some media reported that at the meeting, Kei offered words of sympathy and apology to Mr. A, and that an amicable settlement had been reached.   On the 13th, Mr. A wrote an exclusive article for the weekly magazine "FRIDAY" in which he revealed the details of the negotiations. The following is the full text.  

    On the morning of November 14, Kei Komuro and Mako (both 30), the "much talked about royal couple", left their luxury apartment in Shibuya, Tokyo, where they were temporarily staying, under "full guard".   The couple left the apartment shortly after 8:00 a.m. in a black one-box car led by an SP vehicle. The windows of the car were covered with smoke, making it almost impossible to see what was going on inside.   Mako had visited her parents' residence in the afternoon of the 13th, the day before, and stayed there until 9:30 pm.   This means that Mako obtained a visa to stay in the U.S. as early as about two weeks after their marriage. This is a procedure that normally takes about two months, and because of Mako's complicated PTSD condition, it was thought to be difficult to obtain a US visa. The unusually quick turnaround has raised voices of "imperial privilege.

    Kei Komuro, who married Mako, the eldest daughter of Prince and Princess Akishino, last month, met with his mother's former fiancee, with whom he had a financial dispute, at a lawyer's office in Tokyo on November 12. The former fiancé will receive a settlement from Komuro, and both parties confirmed that the financial problem has been resolved.   Kei Komuro left the apartment in Tokyo where he was staying at a little after 7:30 p.m.  and entered the lawyer's office representing him. Just before this, his mother's former fiancé also entered the same lawyer's office, and Komuro met with his former fiancé for about an hour and a half. This is the first time the two have met since the news of their financial troubles.   After the meeting, Komuro did not respond to calls from the press, but left the lawyer's office with his face slightly upturned, his chest heaving as usual. His counterpart also refused to talk about the contents of the meeting.  

    Before his death, Professor Emeritus Tatsuhiko Kawashima of Gakushuin University, the grandfather of Mako Komuro who passed away on the 4th of this month, expressed his mixed feelings about Mako's marriage. The weekly magazine "Josei Jishin" reported on the 9th.   According to the report, the magazine's reporter interviewed Kawashima in late January 2018. It was about a month before that, when the debt problems between Kei Komuro's mother and her former fiancé were first reported, followed by a series of scandals, including the suicides of relatives of the Komuro family, including Kei's own father.   At the time, the magazine received information that Mr. Kawashima had said, "I guess we'll have to provide the money for Mako to find a new house. It is believed that Mr. Kawashima already knew that he could not rely on the Komuro family financially.   When the reporter asked him, "What do you think about the fact that the financi

    With Kei's failure to pass the NY bar exam and the passing of Mako's grandfather, the Komuros continue to receive unfortunate news. All eyes are now on their future plans.   At the end of last month, it was revealed that Kei Komuro had failed the NY State Bar Exam. If he has passed the exam and becomed a lawyer, his estimated annual income were about 20 million. On the other hand, if he fails the exam and remains a law clerk, he will earn about 6 million. The difference is as big as the difference between heaven and earth.   Kei is said to be intending to retake the exam next February, and Mako has said that she will support Kei. However, the pass rate for the February bar exam is about 20% lower than that for the July exam. This is because the July exam is taken immediately after graduation from law school, while the February exam is taken while working at a law firm, which does not allow for sufficient study time. If Kei fails the February exam as well, there

    Tatsuhiko Kawashima, professor emeritus at Gakushuin University, father of Noriko Akishino and grandfather of Mako Komuro, died of mesothelioma on April 4 at the age of 81. In accordance with his wishes, a family funeral was held on the 6th. Kei Komuro and Mako attended the family funeral together.   　 At around 3:00 p.m., the two went out in the same cab, led by a car with an SP. Kei was wearing a black suit. Mako wore a pearl necklace and earrings, and was dressed in mourning.   Mr. Kawashima's home was also visited by Prince Akishino and his family. The family left Mr. Kawashima's home a little after 5 p.m.   　 Kei and Mako boarded a cab together at 8:05 p.m. and headed home. Mako bowed her head and made a bow in the car to the assembled press, but her expression was sad.   　 Mr. Kawashima was hospitalized on October 19. Mako had visited him many times at the hospital to pay her respects. On the 29th of the same month, Mako visited the hospital with K

    Tatsuhiko Kawashima, father of Kiko Akishino and professor emeritus at Gakushuin University, passed away at a hospital in Tokyo on November 4 at the age of 81.   He was hospitalized in Tokyo on the 19th of last month and was reported to be in a serious condition. Since his hospitalization, Kiko, her eldest daughter Mako Komuro, her second daughter Kako, and her eldest son Hisahito had often visited him. On the 3rd, Mako went out alone to visit her grandfather.   Kawashima, an economist, was born in Tokyo in 1940 and has been a professor of economics at Gakushuin University since 1976.   At the time of the Akishino couple's marriage in 1990, the Kawashimas lived in a faculty apartment on the campus of Gakushuin University, and Kiko was known as the "three-bedroom princess”.

    On the 3rd, Culture Day, a ceremony to bestow the Order of Culture was held at the Imperial Palace.   Six of the nine recipients, including Shigeo Nagashima, 85, former manager of the professional baseball team Giants, and Kikugoro Onoe, 79, a Kabuki actor, attended the ceremony, and His Majesty the Emperor handed over the medals.   His Majesty congratulated the recipients, saying, "I am truly delighted that you have worked so hard over the years to achieve great achievements and contribute to the improvement of culture. He then went up to each of the recipients and exchanged a few words with them.   Due to countermeasures against the new coronavirus infection, the tea ceremony will not be held as last year, when the Emperor and Empress invited the recipients to the Imperial Palace.

    It's been a week since the "Marriage Conference of the Century”. During this time, it was also reported that Kei Komuro had unexpectedly failed to pass the bar exam.   Mako and Kei Komuro, who have left the imperial family, are currently living in a temporary apartment in Tokyo, leading a newly married life. The weekly magazine "Josei Jishin" reported in detail what this life is like.   According to the story, Mako and Komuro are currently living as newlyweds in a serviced apartment in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, as a temporary residence. The apartment is a high-class residence near Aoyama-dori, which is lined with fashionable boutiques and cafes. It is designed for mid- to long-term stays, but can be used from one night.   The Komuros are staying on the top floor of one of the buildings. Judging from its location, it is probably a two-bedroom room with a living room and dining room. This is the image of a suite room in a regular hotel. The bathtub is