Marriage: Japanese Princess Mako risks losing royal status

Japan’s monarchy is recently faced with possible succession crisis as Emperor Akihito’s granddaughter is set to engage her college sweetheart, an ordinary citizen, which could cost the princess her royal status in Japan’s monarchy mostly controlled by the male.The story of Princess Mako’s engagement was made public by broadcaster NHK on Tuesday, a development which made Japanese panic after television chat shows and newspapers confirmed it while they await official announcement in the days ahead.Her 25-year-old fiancé, Kei Komuro, once named “Prince of the Sea” in a local tourism promotion contest, spoke with journalists on Wednesday, but did not give further information on the engagement.He affirmed of his conversation with the princess after the news of their engagement went public. “I talked to her on the phone this morning.” Komuno said.This has affected the mood in the country as the future of the royal family remains uncertain, leaving an option of the first-ever royal resignation in two centuries in the midst of a dire need for male heirs.Mako, 25, is the eldest daughter of Prince Akishino, and risks losing her royal position in the event of marrying a commoner as provided for in the country’s controversial law.Same treatment was meted out to Akihito’s only daughter, Princess Sayako who left in 2005 after marrying city planner Yoshiki Kuroda but she got more than $1 million in compensation from the government.However, the law is lenient with male royals, which permits Akihito and his sons engaging commoners, who would later become a member of the royal family.There has been debate by Japanese as to whether the law should be abolished to allow royal women keep their position.This is believed to help boost the number of possible male heirs in a monarchy that forbids females to assume the Chrysanthemum Throne.Conservatives, like Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, strongly disapprove of such changes, in spite of the fact that Japan sometimes in the past had been ruled by female monarchs.