Princess Mako of Japan’s husband flunks New York bar exam
Newlyweds married in Tokyo last week
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Your support makes all the difference.Princess Mako of Japan’s husband has reportedly failed his bar exam in New York State, just days after the pair married, and Princess Mako lost her royal status.
The princess married Kei Komuro at a Tokyo registry office wedding on 26 October. She forfeited the usual customs of a royal wedding, and refused a 140million yen (£890,000) which she was entitled to as a royal female leaving leaving the imperial family, palace officials said.
Mako, 30, is the eldest daughter of Crown Prince Fumihito and niece of reigning Emperor Naruhito. She met Mr Komuro at university and the pair married after an eight-year-long engagement.
Following the marriage, the couple are expected to move to the United States to live in New York City where Mr Komuro works as a lawyer at the New-Jersey based law firm Lowenstein Sandler LLP. Ms Mako is also expected to find a job in New York.
Mr Komuro sat the New York State Bar Association exam earlier this year in a bid to become a licensed attorney in the United States. However, the results released just days after his marriage to Ms Mako revealed that he had failed his exams.
The results were reportedly posted on the website of the New York State Board of Law Examiners on Friday 29 October and Mr Komuro’s name was not featured in the list of successful candidates. The examination board has revealed that out of the 9,227 people who took the exam, only 5,791 in fact passed it.
According to the Japanese broadcasterNHK, Mr Komuro discussed the exam result with Okuno Yoshihiko, the head of a firm in Japan where he used to work, in a phone call the day after the results came out.
Mr Yoshihiko revealed that Mr Komuro plans to continue studying for the exam and suggested that he will retake it in February. If he is to take the exam in February, Mr Komuro must submit an application in November, The Japan Times reports.
Ms Mako has said that she will continue to support her husband’s studies.
The former princess received criticism when she decided to marry Mr Komuro. Japanese law dictates female imperial family members must give up their royal status upon marriage to a ‘commoner’, male members, on the other hand, may maintain their royal standing, according to BBC News.
Ms Mako apologised to those who disagreed with her choice but stood by her partner at a press conference last week, saying: “I am very sorry for the inconvenience caused and I am grateful for those… who have continued to support me. For me, Kei is irreplaceable – marriage was a necessary choice for us.”
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