Princess Mako visited the graves of her great-grandparents in Tokyo on Tuesday to offer prayers ahead of her controversial marriage to boyfriend Kei Komuro later this month.
The visit was made at the request of the 29-year-old princess, a niece of Emperor Naruhito, who is set to go ahead with the marriage that was imperiled by a financial dispute involving Komuro's mother.
Princess Mako will skip the traditional wedding rites — the first time a female member of the imperial family has done so in postwar Japan. Under the current rules, women lose their imperial status once they marry a commoner.