Former Japanese princess Mako departs for new life in New York with ‘commoner’ husband

Former Japanese Princess Mako, who stripped of her royal status when she married her “commoner” boyfriend last month, has departed for New York after a years-long struggle with public scrutiny on their romance.

Ahead of the couple's new life together as ordinary citizens in the US, the former princess — now Mako Komuro — and her husband Kei Komuro arrived at Tokyo’s Haneda international airport.

Mako, daughter of Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko, recently received her first passport so she could accompany Kei to New York, where he works at a law firm.

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