The Imperial Household Agency said Wednesday the wedding ceremony of Princess Mako, eldest granddaughter of Emperor Akihito, and Kei Komuro, her classmate from university, will be held Nov. 4 next year.
The ceremony will take place at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, with the Emperor and Empress Michiko expected to attend, according to agency sources. The 83-year-old Emperor is likely to abdicate in the spring of 2019.
Before the wedding, the couple — both 26 — will be formally engaged through a traditional rite of betrothal called Nosai no Gi, which will be held on March 4 next year, a Sunday, in light of Komuro's work as a paralegal at a law firm, Imperial Household Agency sources said.
The agency formally announced the planned engagement of the couple in September, confirming earlier news reports.
Princess Mako will renounce her status as a member of the Imperial family after marrying the commoner, in accordance with the Imperial House Law.