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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| No fairytale ending: why Japan’s Princess Mako is stepping down to marry a normal man | No fairytale ending: why Japan’s Princess Mako is stepping down to marry a normal man |
| (13 days later) | |
| Name: Princess Mako. | Name: Princess Mako. |
| Age: 25. | Age: 25. |
| Appearance: regular-person-in-waiting. | Appearance: regular-person-in-waiting. |
| What does that mean exactly? The emperor of Japan’s granddaughter has announced her engagement. | What does that mean exactly? The emperor of Japan’s granddaughter has announced her engagement. |
| To whom? To 25-year-old law firm employee Kei Komuro. | To whom? To 25-year-old law firm employee Kei Komuro. |
| What is he like? He has “a smile like the sun”, according to Princess Mako, but she may be a bit biased. They plan to marry next year. | What is he like? He has “a smile like the sun”, according to Princess Mako, but she may be a bit biased. They plan to marry next year. |
| It will be a fairytale royal wedding! Sort of. | It will be a fairytale royal wedding! Sort of. |
| Sort of, you say? The thing is, Kei is a commoner, and once the Princess marries him, she’ll become one, too. | Sort of, you say? The thing is, Kei is a commoner, and once the Princess marries him, she’ll become one, too. |
| Are you sure? That’s not what happens in Shrek 2. Under Japanese law, female royals lose their titles when they marry out. Males don’t. | Are you sure? That’s not what happens in Shrek 2. Under Japanese law, female royals lose their titles when they marry out. Males don’t. |
| I suppose it’s an ancient tradition from before sexism was a thing. Sexism was always a thing, and Japan’s Imperial Household law dates from 1947. | I suppose it’s an ancient tradition from before sexism was a thing. Sexism was always a thing, and Japan’s Imperial Household law dates from 1947. |
| In that case, it’s bloody unfair. Not to mention impractical: the Japanese Imperial family has been steadily shrinking for decades, and the princess’s royal duties will have to be divvied up between those left. | In that case, it’s bloody unfair. Not to mention impractical: the Japanese Imperial family has been steadily shrinking for decades, and the princess’s royal duties will have to be divvied up between those left. |
| Bad luck, freeloaders. Under the same law, only men can inherit the title of emperor. There is now just one male heir in Mako’s generation – Prince Hisahito, who turns 11 this week. | Bad luck, freeloaders. Under the same law, only men can inherit the title of emperor. There is now just one male heir in Mako’s generation – Prince Hisahito, who turns 11 this week. |
| How is Princess Mako taking all this? She has no choice – there are no male royals left in Japan for her to marry. But she seems optimistic: “While I’ve worked to help the emperor and fulfil duties as a royal family member as much as I can,” she said. “I’ve been cherishing my own life.” | How is Princess Mako taking all this? She has no choice – there are no male royals left in Japan for her to marry. But she seems optimistic: “While I’ve worked to help the emperor and fulfil duties as a royal family member as much as I can,” she said. “I’ve been cherishing my own life.” |
| Has she got any experience of what it’s like out here for the rest of us? She spent nine months as an exchange student in Edinburgh University and also had a period living in halls of residence at Leicester. | Has she got any experience of what it’s like out here for the rest of us? She spent nine months as an exchange student in Edinburgh University and also had a period living in halls of residence at Leicester. |
| So no. She has also had a job, working as a researcher in a Tokyo museum, and is now studying for a doctorate. | So no. She has also had a job, working as a researcher in a Tokyo museum, and is now studying for a doctorate. |
| She’s still going to be disappointed the first time she tries the coffee in a Kwik Fit waiting room. The Princess is in line for a one-off leaving payment of about a million quid, which should soften the blow. | She’s still going to be disappointed the first time she tries the coffee in a Kwik Fit waiting room. The Princess is in line for a one-off leaving payment of about a million quid, which should soften the blow. |
| Do say: “Let’s wish these two crazy kids the best!” | Do say: “Let’s wish these two crazy kids the best!” |
| Don’t say: “One of us! One of us!” | Don’t say: “One of us! One of us!” |
| Japan | Japan |
| Pass notes | Pass notes |
| Asia Pacific | Asia Pacific |
| Weddings | Weddings |
| features | features |
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