Japan’s palace confirms former princess Mako has first baby
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Digital Subscription
One year of digital access for only $205*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*First annual payment billed as $205.00 + GST for one year. This annual subscription will automatically renew at $233.00 + GST every 52 weeks (10% off the regular annual price of $259.35). Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Free Press access to your Brandon Sun subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Your next Brandon Sun subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $17.95 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.95 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 30/05/2025 (496 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
TOKYO (AP) — Former Japanese princess Mako Komuro has given birth to her first child, palace officials confirmed Friday, though they gave no details, saying she is no longer a royal member.
The Imperial Household Agency said both the mother and child are in good health, but did not disclose the baby’s date of birth or gender.
The former princess, 33, is a niece of Emperor Naruhito. She married a former college classmate Kei Komuro, a commoner, and renounced her royal status in 2021 as required by Japan’s Imperial House Law. Days after their marriage, the couple moved to New York where her husband works as a lawyer.
Officials said that while the birth involved a former royal, the palace decided to publicly confirm the news after media reports earlier this month on the baby’s arrival. They added that they hoped Mako would live in a quiet environment.
Mako’s parents, Crown Prince Akishino and his wife Kiko, and younger siblings — Princess Kako and Prince Hisahito — are delighted and wished Mako’s family happiness, officials said.
Japanese tabloid magazine Josei Seven recently published images of Mako and Kei Komuro seen walking with a baby stroller in a neighborhood of New York.
Mako and her husband met at Tokyo’s International Christian University. They announced in September 2017 their intention to marry the following year, but the wedding was suspended for four years due to a financial dispute involving Kei Komuro’s mother.
Due to the controversy, Mako also declined a dowry to which she was entitled for leaving the imperial family.
Mako’s loss of royal status comes from the Imperial House Law, which allows only male succession.
The rule leaves only Akishino and his son Hisahito in line to succeed Naruhito. A government panel is discussing a more stable succession system, but conservatives reject female succession and only plan to allow female royals to help perform public duties after marriage.
