htmlOn April 14, a result of the New York State bar exam in Japan across the ocean. The reason is that the person who took this exam was Japanese Emperor The son-in-law of Prince Akishinomiya, the younger brother and the first heir to the throne, Komuro Kei . However, the test results were just like the previous controversy of the first son-in-law, which surprised everyone.
Kei Komuro, who took the bar exam for the second time, failed again, 5 points away from the passing line. It is reported that a total of 3,068 people participated in the bar exam in February. There are 1,378 of the currently announced list of passers-by, with an overall pass rate of 45%.
Kei Komuro told the media through a friend that he would not give up. He is currently planning to take the exam for the third time in July this year. After all, the bar exam in New York State does not limit the number of tests.
In November last year, I announced that I would marry Mako Princess , and then went to New York, USA to live. This marriage between a civilian and a princess was not a blessing in Japan at the beginning. Why is this national son-in-law in Japan always plagued with negative news? How did a royal marriage trigger protest marches and paparazzi pursuits?
Why is the first son-in-law not popular?
The first son-in-law Kei Komuro's wife is Princess Mako, the eldest daughter of Prince Fumien, the younger brother of the Japanese Emperor Naruhito . Because the emperor's daughter loved her son later than her younger brother's two daughters. Princess Mako is actually the second generation leader of the Japanese royal family. When a woman gets married, she naturally becomes the focus of attention of Japanese media.
On September 27, 2021, a photo of Kei Komuro arrived at Narita Airport in Tokyo from the United States, making it to the first headlines of Japanese media and the Internet. The reason is not only because the young man who was about to marry the emperor's niece finally returned to Japan, nor because of the dozens of black-clad bodyguards behind him, but his strange hairstyle.
Komuro Kei arrived at Tokyo Narita Airport
A 30-year-old man with a ponytail. Although social media and newspapers used the title of samurai to excuse the strange look of the first son-in-law, most Japanese netizens were negative about Kei Komuro's look, and then believed that he was not suitable to be the son-in-law of the Emperor's family.
Even in the 21st century, Japanese society cannot accept the rebellious appearance among the royal family. Since Kei Komuro
previously claimed to be a lawyer, and she is fluent in English, she can also play violin . But for the first time in the media, such a hairstyle similar to a singer and artist, obviously disappoints most people's expectations for his image.
Japanese scholars pointed out that in traditional concepts, the marriage partners of the royal family are usually carefully selected from the traditional circle of royal interaction. Kei Komuro and Princess Mako's chance encounter in college was obviously not a normal way for the Japanese royal family to get married.
After the overwhelming reports in the media and the Internet, Kei Komuro immediately cut off her hair and returned to her normal hairstyle. Unfortunately, the criticism of this royal marriage did not end there.
need princess to post on the back after marriage?
According to media reports, Kei Komuro currently works in a famous law firm in New York, USA, but his position is not a lawyer, but an intern lawyer. Due to failing the exam, Komuro's annual salary will be reduced from 22 million yen (about 1.1 million yuan) to 6 million yen (about 300,000 yuan).
International lawyer Hiroshi Kiyohara, who has a lawyer license in New York State, said in an interview with Japanese media that since he does not have a lawyer qualification certificate, Kei Komuro can only be reduced to a lawyer assistant, and his annual salary will also be reduced to one-third of the original salary.
There are also media reports that Princess Mako and Kei Komuro stayed in New York with a monthly rent of up to 800,000 yen (about 40,000 RMB) with a high-end apartment with 2 bedrooms and 2 living rooms. The rent for the couple in New York is tens of million yen (about 500,000 RMB). Obviously, relying solely on Kei Komuro's income is far from enough.
former Japanese emperor Akihito and his wife and Mako
When they got married in October last year, Mako did not receive a one-time subsidy of up to 150 million yen (about 8.7 million yuan) from the Japanese royal family after their marriage. Therefore, Mako is likely to have plans to work outside. American media reported that a gallery has invited her to work in New York. Princess Mako has a degree from the University of Leicester Museum and has also served as a special researcher at the University of Tokyo Comprehensive Research Museum. She has indeed had the opportunity to enter the field of art trading. But the expenses of the two in New York are not as simple as rent.
800 million security fees and empress dowager’s pension money. How much more money does it cost to spend after marriage?
A report from Japan's Weekly New Tide in March this year showed that due to a shooting near a high-end apartment in New York where Kei Komuro and Mako rented, the Japanese government intends to use special funds to hire security company personnel to protect the safety of the two, and spend about 800 million yen (about 40 million yuan) a year.
Insiders of the Japanese government revealed that because the apartment rented by Mako and his wife did not have 24-hour security guards, the Japanese government commissioned the Japanese Consulate in New York to send 2 police officers to patrol the apartment every day. However, as the security situation in New York worsened, the government had to consider entrusting local security companies in the United States to take charge of the safety of the two.
report pointed out that the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Police Department have begun to discuss finding outsourcing companies, but the required fees may be used for confidential funds. Some Japanese media asked local security companies in the United States for quotations. Among the several quotations, the minimum plan also requires 39 million yen (about 1.95 million yuan) per month. If the permanent security guards of the residential house are added, the monthly funding will exceed 70 million yen (about 3.51 million yuan).
Japanese media followed Mako's life in the United States, showing that the newlyweds did not live well in a foreign country. Media reports show that Mako has been photographed wearing the same military green coat many times and did not call a special car when she visited Kennedy family . A staff member of the Interior Department revealed to the magazine that the current emperor's mother, Mako's grandmother, and Empress Michiko love her eldest granddaughter Mako very much. It is said that the day before Mako got married, she publicly expressed her concern about her life after leaving home.
A former male employee of the Interior Department revealed to the media that Queen Michiko intends to use her pension money to sponsor Mako and his wife. However, according to Japanese law, if a royal family wants to accept or reward property, it must go through a vote of Congress. But if Michiko intends to donate the inheritance to Mako through inheritance reward, not only will there be no legal problems, but it will not have to be made public.
It is reported that the 88-year-old Empress Michiko and Akihito have been married for 63 years, and more than 30 years ago, they entrust the dowry and other assets they brought when they got married. They should have considerable assets in their hands. In fact, as early as when Mako and Komuro Kei were in love, there were rumors that Michiko was interested in sponsoring Komuro Kei, and this is the most important reason why this national son-in-law became the target of public criticism.
The mother-in-law who loves money and the scumbag who is in debt?
The news of Princess Mako's marriage with Kei Komuro was released in 2017. The family background of the common people at that time made Kei Komuro aroused the curiosity of the people. Soon, the family background of Kei Komuro who was exposed in the Japanese Gossip Weekly magazine caused an uproar in public opinion.
"Does the Akishinomiya family know? Mako's fiancé Kei Komuro's mother is caught in a debt dispute of 4 million yen." A long report published in December 2017 by Japanese "Weekly Women" magazine, showing that after Komuro's biological father committed suicide, his stepfather funded 4 million tuition fees and then broke up with his mother Kamuro Komuro, which triggered a debt dispute. The dark history of the future son-in-law's family quickly made headlines on the Japanese Internet and media. The princess actually married into a family that did not pay back her debts, which became the first impression of many Japanese netizens about this marriage. That year, Japanese Inner Palace announced that Princess Mako's engagement was postponed to 2020 on the grounds that it was not prepared enough.
protest against Princess Mako's marriage with Kei Komuro
Faced with the high popularity of public opinion, Kei Komuro chose to study in the United States to avoid the public opinion storm. Princess Mako's marriage was delayed from the Heisei era to the Rei and era. With Mako's father, Prince Akishimiya Fumihito, becoming the first heir to the throne in 2021, the focus of the media returned to her daughter's marriage.
There are media reports that after the official announcement of Kei Komuro and Mako's marriage in 2021, there were conservative protest marches from both Tokyo and Osaka , holding banners of "opposing marriage". After the war, the Japanese royal family established a good image in the hearts of ordinary Japanese people. As Komuro Kei was greatly shaken, some people even believed that Princess Mako and the controversial Komuro Kei were a betrayal of the royal family.
Faced with the continuous pressure of public opinion, Kei Komuro published a 28-page open letter before marriage, explaining the entire process of the mother's economic dispute in a very detailed manner, which is the first time that he has made a positive response to the debt dispute. Before the two got married, the Japanese Inner Palace Department rarely announced that she was about to get married. Princess Mako was diagnosed with "complex PTSD", indicating that weekly reports and online public opinion have caused harm to Princess Mako.
Why is Japan not as good as Prince Harry and Megan ?
Princess Mako is not the first Japanese royal woman to feel the pressure of royal life. The Japanese Empress Masako married Emperor Naruhito in 1993, gave up her diplomatic career and lived in the royal family for the rest of her life. At that time, Masako's identity was also difficult to change. Because she did not give birth to a male heir to the Japanese royal family, the queen was once caught in public criticism.
As for why she chose to leave Japan and go to the United States, American media analyzed that Princess Mako had the right to receive a one-time subsidy, but in order to appease the public who disapprove, she decided to give up. It is understandable that protests against the royal rules. Perhaps due to public opinion, leaving Japan should be the best choice.
In Europe and the United States, the combination of Mako and Kei Komuro is compared with another famous royal couple - British Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. Meghan and Prince Harry of Britain also sparked controversy when they first got married in 2017. Some believe that a mixed-race, divorced American actress is not eligible to join the British royal family. Also, due to the inability to withstand the media bombardment, in January 2020, the two announced that they had left the British royal family and went to live in the United States.
Back to the economic problems, Portland State University, USA Professor Ken Rouf pointed out that members of the British royal family grew up with huge wealth. They also spend a lot of time raising funds for various charities, so they know how to make money. When Harry and Meghan went to the United States, they made millions of dollars by just speaking and talking to the media about the British royal family accident. Members of the Japanese royal family who have been acting low-key since the war obviously did not have such capabilities and resources. Moreover, the introverted style and cultural differences of Oriental people will not allow these two young people to use their past identities to monetize, so it may be a last resort to continue sponsoring their lives by the Japanese royal family in the short term.
参考资料
、 Not everyone approves of this princess' wedding. She's going ahead with it anyway，CNN
2、 日本真子公主结婚记，澎湃新闻
3、 小室圭さん、7月に弁護士試験3度目の受験明言も「崖っ縁であることは間違いない」，日本《体育报》
