Kei Komuro, the 29-year-old partner of Princess Mako, will likely return to Japan next Monday from the United States, where he has been living, sources with knowledge of the matter said Wednesday, ahead of their planned marriage.
Komuro is expected to meet the 29-year-old princess, the eldest daughter of Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko, and prepare for a news conference after roughly two weeks of COVID-19 quarantine, the sources said.
The couple are planning to register their marriage as soon as next month.
The Imperial Household Agency is making arrangements to announce shortly their wedding date and other details, the sources said. The couple are expected to hold the news conference after the announcement, according to the sources.
Princess Mako and Komuro are expected to register their marriage without holding the Nosai no Gi official engagement and other ceremonies that are customary for the imperial family.
Komuro and Princess Mako met in 2012 while studying at International Christian University in Tokyo. After their informal engagement, in September 2017, they planned to hold their wedding ceremony in November 2018.
But ceremonies related to their marriage were postponed due to a money dispute between Komuro’s mother and her former boyfriend. Komuro has issued a statement detailing the dispute but has not held a news conference on the matter.
After the postponement of ceremonies related to their marriage, Komuro began studying at Fordham University’s law school in New York in August 2018. He graduated in May this year and took a bar examination of New York state in July.
If he passes the exam, he plans to work at a law firm in the United States, people familiar with the situation said. The exam results will be announced by mid-December.
After marrying Komuro, Princess Mako will leave the imperial family as is required under the Imperial House Law. She is then expected to start preparations for her life in the United States with Komuro, including acquiring a passport. Japanese Imperial Family members do not have passports.
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