Kei Komuro, the boyfriend of Princess Mako, on Monday started a three-year study at Fordham University's law school in New York.
Komuro, a paralegal at a Tokyo law firm who aims to pass New York state's bar examination, greeted journalists as he stepped onto the university campus in central Manhattan for his orientation.
Komuro and Emperor Akihito's eldest granddaughter met in 2012 as students at International Christian University in Tokyo and soon began dating.
The couple, both 26, had planned to marry later this year and had already received the Emperor's blessing, but the plans were abruptly delayed until 2020 after a string of reports that Komuro's mother was in a dispute over money with her former fiance.
The Imperial Household Agency has denied any connection between the reports about Komuro's mother and the delayed marriage, saying the couple needed more time to prepare.
