Princess Mako of Akishino

Princess Mako (眞子内親王, Mako Naishinnō, born 23 October 1991) is the first child and elder daughter of Prince Fumihito and Princess Kiko, and a member of the Japanese imperial family. She is the niece of Emperor Naruhito and the eldest grandchild of Emperor Emeritus Akihito and Empress Emerita Michiko.

This article is about the Japanese princess. For other uses, see Mako (disambiguation).
Mako
Princess Mako during the New Year's Greeting in 2015
BornMako (眞子)
(1991-10-23) 23 October 1991
Imperial Household Agency Hospital, Tokyo Imperial Palace, Japan
HouseImperial House of Japan
FatherPrince Fumihito
MotherKiko Kawashima
OccupationResearcher at the University of Tokyo museum[1]

Biography

Early life and education

Princess Mako was born on 23 October 1991 at Imperial Household Agency Hospital in Tokyo Imperial Palace, Chiyoda, Tokyo. Princess Mako has a younger sister, Princess Kako, and a younger brother, Prince Hisahito. She was educated at the Gakushūin School in her Primary, Girls' Junior and Senior High School years. She studied English at University College, Dublin (UCD), in July–August 2010.[2] She had an informal talk with the President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, and she visited Northern Ireland.[3]

Princess Mako graduated from the International Christian University in Mitaka, Tokyo on 26 March 2014 with a Bachelor's degree in Art and Cultural Heritage.[4][5] She obtained Japanese national certification in curation as well as a driver's licence while she was an undergraduate student.[6][7][8] On 17 September 2014, she left for the United Kingdom where she studied Museum Studies at the University of Leicester for a year,[9] receiving a Master's degree in January 2016.[10] She also studied art history at the University of Edinburgh for nine months, from September 2012 to May 2013.[11][12][13][14]

In the media

She has been something of an internet idol since 2004, when images of her in sailor fuku appeared on television. An image repository was set up, and a video featuring fanart of Princess Mako was uploaded onto the popular video-sharing website Nico Nico Douga, attracting over 340,000 views and 86,000 comments. The Imperial Household Agency, responding to a request for comment, stated that they are not sure how they should handle this phenomenon, since they see no signs of slander or insults against the Imperial Family.[15]

Public life

In 2011, Mako came of age and was conferred Grand Cordon of the Order of the Precious Crown on 23 October. Since then, she has been attending official events as an adult member of the Imperial Family.[16]

Official visits
Princess Mako hearing an explanation of a Mayan site by archaeologist Seiichi Nakamura

Personal interests

In August 2006, Mako visited Vienna, Austria for two weeks on a school-sponsored homestay program. She stayed in the home of an Austrian man who was a colleague of Tatsuhiko Kawashima, her maternal grandfather. Because Mako is interested in art and architecture, she visited the museums, St. Stephen's Cathedral and Schönbrunn Palace.[23][24]

In July 2011, she worked as a volunteer in the affected areas of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami without revealing her identity.[25]

She is able to communicate using Japanese Sign Language and is interested in the Deaf community, like her mother, Princess Akishino.[26]

She became the project researcher of the University of Tokyo's museum on 1 April 2016.[27]

Engagement

In May 2017, it was announced that the Princess was expected to marry Kei Komuro, a graduate of International Christian University (ICU).[28][29] It is anticipated that like her paternal aunt, Sayako, Princess Nori, and other princesses who married commoners in recent decades she will formally lose her title and become a commoner upon marriage as required by law.[29][30] On 3 September 2017, the Imperial Household Agency announced the engagement, which was followed by a press conference attended by the couple.[31] The wedding was originally expected to take place in November 2018,[32] but it was later announced that it would be postponed until 2020 due to Kei Komuro and his family having a financial dispute of which the imperial family disapproves.[33] In November 2020 the Imperial Household Agency announced that there was still no anticipated date for the marriage but that it was a "necessary choice" for the couple.[34] Mako will become the ninth female member of the family to marry a commoner since the passage of the Imperial Household Law.

Titles and styles
Styles of
Princess Mako
Akisino no miya mon
Reference styleHer Imperial Highness
Spoken styleYour Imperial Highness

Mako is known as Her Imperial Highness Princess Mako.

Honours
See also: List of honours of the Japanese Imperial Family by country

National honours

References
  1. "「研究部」". The University Museum, The University of Tokyo (in Japanese). Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  2. "Japanese royal to spend time in Dublin studying English". The Irish Times. June 18, 2010. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
  3. "「眞子さま、アイルランドから帰国 」". The Nikkei (in Japanese). August 15, 2010. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
  4. "Princess Mako Graduates University". The Royal Forums.
  5. "Their Imperial Highnesses Prince and Princess Akishino and their family - The Imperial Household Agency". kunaicho.go.jp.
  6. "「眞子さま、国際基督教大学をご卒業 「感謝しています」 」". Sankei Shimbun (in Japanese). March 26, 2014. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
  7. 「〈眞子さま〉国際基督教大学を卒業「一生の思い出の4年間」 Mainichi Shimbun March 26, 2014
  8. "Princess Mako celebrates her graduation from university". Royalista. Archived from the original on 2014-10-09.
  9. "Princess Mako leaves for one year of study in England ‹ Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion". japantoday.com.
  10. "Japanese Princess attends graduation ceremony". Retrieved 22 January 2016.
  11. "Japan's Princess Mako to study at Edinburgh University". deadlinenews.co.uk.
  12. "Princess Mako describes life at British university as 'fruitful' - The Japan Times". The Japan Times.
  13. "Hosting royalty". ed.ac.uk. 4 June 2013. Archived from the original on 27 March 2014.
  14. "眞子さまが9月に英国ご留学". MSN Sankei News (in Japanese). Sankei Shimbun. August 3, 2012. Archived from the original on December 19, 2012. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
  15. "ネットで大人気「眞子様萌え」！　宮内庁は困惑気味？". Yahoo! Netallica. 15 June 2008. Archived from the original on 18 June 2008.
  16. "Japan's Princess Mako turns 20 and becomes newest adult member of Imperial Family". Telegraph.co.uk. 24 October 2011.
  17. "Japan's Princess Mako starts Central America visit". Yahoo! Finance. Retrieved 2017-06-07.
  18. "Japan's Princess Mako begins second official visit to Paraguay - Hoy San Diego". www.sandiegouniontribune.com. Retrieved 2017-06-07.
  19. "Princess Mako begins a nine-day official visit to Bhutan". The Japan Times Online. 2017-05-31. ISSN 0447-5763. Retrieved 2017-06-07.
  20. "Princess Mako visits folk museum in Hungary with father Prince Akishino". The Japan Times. 20 August 2017. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  21. "Japanese Princess Mako Begins Visit do Brazil's Biggest City". The New York Times. 21 July 2018. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  22. "Japan's Princess Mako meets with Peruvian president". Kyodo News. 12 July 2019. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
  23. 「眞子さまがホームステイ　夏にオーストリアへ」 Hokkaido Shimbun July 11, 2006 10:44
  24. 「世界遺産の宮殿を見学　ウィーンで眞子さま」 Chugoku Shimbun August 12, 2006
  25. 眞子さま、身分を隠しボランティア活動「実際に行ってみないとわからない…」
  26. "Image of Mako sign language". Archived from the original on 2015-09-16.
  27. 5:00
  28. Yoshida, Reiji (16 May 2017). "Princess Mako, granddaughter of Emperor, set to marry ex-classmate". The Japan Times Online. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  29. "Princess Mako to lose Japan royal status by marrying commoner". BBC. 18 May 2017. Retrieved 27 September 2017.
  30. Fogarty, Philippa (19 May 2017). "The princess, the palace and the shrinking royal line". BBC. Retrieved 27 September 2017.
  31. "Japan's Princess Mako announces engagement". BBC. 4 September 2017. Retrieved 27 September 2017.
  32. "Japan's Princess Mako Gives Up her Royal Status to Marry a Commoner". Time. 3 September 2017. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  33. "Princess Mako's marriage prospects unknown, Crown Prince Akishino says". The Japan Times. 22 June 2019. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
  34. "Princess Mako describes marriage as 'necessary' but plan still on hold". The Japan Times. 13 November 2020. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  35. Régine. "Les 20 ans de la princesse Mako du Japon". Noblesse & Royautés. Archived from the original on 2013-06-12.
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