Japan princess to wed commoner next month despite dispute

By MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese Princess Mako and her fiancé are tying the knot next month but no wedding ceremonies are planned. The palace says their marriage is not fully supported by the public because of a financial dispute involving her future mother-in-law. The controversy involving Mako fiancé Kei Komuro’s mother is an embarrassment for the imperial family and led to public rebuke that delayed their marriage for more than three years. Komuro, 29, returned to Japan last week from New York, where he was studying law. His hair, tied in a ponytail, was considered a bold statement for someone marrying a princess and only added to the criticism. The couple will register their marriage on Oct. 26 and start a new life in New York.