Japanese Princess Marries a 'Commoner': What Does It Mean for Women in Japan?

Mako is also the first royal to get married without a 'traditional wedding ceremony' in post-war Japan.

Newly-weds Mako and Kei Komuro.

(Photo Courtesy: Reuters)

Japanese Princess Mako has made history by marrying a non-royal, her college sweetheart Kei Komuro, on Tuesday, 26 October. While she isn't the first royal to marry a 'commoner', she is the first one to decline the one-time payment of $1.35 million, made to Japanese princesses on marrying commoners while stripping them of their royal title.

She is also the first to get married without a 'traditional wedding ceremony' in post-war Japan.

A Tale of More Than Just Love

While it is reported that the princess marrying her boyfriend, a non-royal, was seen as a victory of 'love' over tradition, the princess is now an inspiration to a lot of women who are denied certain rights under the patriarchal system, especially royal women.

"One of the toughest places to be a woman in Japan is within its royal family," New York Times stated while reporting on Mako's wedding.

Women in Japan are not allowed to inherit the throne and are "cancelled out from royalty", that is, stripped of their title if they marry a commoner. They are, however, paid a sum, an alternative to their allowance as royalty, more so, as dowry. Mako declined to take this money because she did not want to be tied down by money.

Mako wore a pastel dress and pearls, while Komuro was dressed in a dark suit and a tie for their wedding, Reuters reported.

Her choices while marrying, including not having a traditional ceremony, is not the first time she has dissented the royal way of life. Mako was the first royal to study at a private liberal arts college, the International Christian University, instead of the elite institution Gakushuin University.

Mako also became a symbol of positive outlook for mental health issues. She was the first royal woman to ever talk about issues she had been dealing with. In October this year, the imperial household had revealed that Mako suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder due to the constant public scrutiny of her engagement. Mental health is still considered a "delicate topic" among the Japanese.

While her comparison to the Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markel opened up conversations about the treatment meted out to royal women and the "difference in human rights" between royals and non-royals, her actions have brought forward conversations about women's rights in Japan.

Getting married at the age of 30, adds a lot of pressure for women, especially in a country like Japan where crossing 25 and being unmarried makes you "unmarriageable", VICE News reported. Being a princess and not being allowed to freely date doubles the pressure and controversy.

A Long Controversial Engagement

Though the couple had announced their engagement in 2017 and there were speculations of the two moving to New York to pursue their respective careers, it took a while for the marriage to reach culmination.

Mako is the niece of Emperor Naruhito and daughter of Crown Prince Akishino and the fact that her brother Hisahito is supposed to be Emperor one day, makes her decision of living a "normal life" a "bigger" deal.

While Mako's announcement of her engagement was hailed as a victory of love and freedom, tabloid reports divided the Japanese public on the issue.

Family background is of great importance in this Asian country and this is where Komuro's family came into picture. The financial conflict between Komuro's mother and her ex-fiancé had taken over the newspapers in Japan. While in a 24-page statement Komuro said that he will pay a settlement for the debt claimed by the ex-fiancé, the Japanese public was sceptical of a scandal so close to the throne.

The royalty is so isolated and different from the public, that idealisation of the throne and those near it has made the Japanese people uneasy with the "slightest hint of trouble and controversy", Reuters reported.

While the Crown Prince publicly approved his daughter's marriage, he had earlier withheld approval because he wanted the public of Japan to approve it first and the couple to get married with the people's blessings. "Japanese feel like since the imperial family represents them in a way, we have the right to give our opinions," he said in 2017.

Is Japan and Its Royal Family Ready for Change?

With two women standing for the post of prime minister, the media is claiming that "Japan is slowly changing". The royal household acknowledging the princess' PTSD has highlighted positive change in the Japanese culture.

However, is Japan really changing?

The princess' treatment by social media trolls echoes treatment to women who speak up against injustice and sexual assault or even workspace rules about wearing heels, New York Times reported. The treatment meted out to Mako was filled more with scrutiny and "much worse" than what the other eight princesses who married non-royalty had to go through. Words like "tax thief" and "cursed marriage" were used amidst the controversy of her engagement.

(With inputs from New York Times, Reuters, and VICE World News.)