For love… Japan’s Princess Mako to give up one-off million-dollar payment

Japan’s Princess Mako is set to forego a one-off million-dollar payment for giving up her royal status to wed a college classmate, media said on Saturday, clearing the way for a marriage delayed for years by controversy over her fiance.

The 29-year-old grand-daughter of then-Emperor Akihito and her former college classmate, Kei Komuro, announced their engagement in 2017.

The government is set to agree that the princess forego the payment, worth up to 150 million yen ($1.35 million) for royals giving up their status to marry commoners, amid public criticism over her fiance, public broadcaster NHK and others said.

One Japanese media outlet had speculated that the marriage was imminent, saying that Komuro had recently appeared in New York with long hair tied back, sparking the ire of some Japanese Twitter users.

Media have said the couple plan to live in the United States. Under Japan’s males-only royal succession law, female members of the imperial family lose their status on marrying commoners.