
TOKYO -- Princess Mako, niece of Japan's Emperor Naruhito, expressed her determination Friday to go ahead with her postponed marriage to commoner Kei Komuro, calling it "a necessary choice for us to live while protecting our feelings."
The 29-year-old Mako, the oldest daughter of Crown Prince Akishino, and Komuro announced their plans to get married more than three years ago. The princess reiterated the pair's strong feelings about the relationship in a note released through the Imperial Household Agency, "with the understanding of [her] parents."