Mako, 28, met her long term boyfriend Kei Komuro at university and got engaged to him in 2017. But the royal had to postpone the ceremony until 2020 over rumours of a dispute with Mr Komuro’s mother and her former fiancee. Now the wedding has been postponed again, in large part due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The royal is the niece of Emperor Naruhito, and the daughter of Crown Prince Fumihito.
Mako issued a statement, released by the Imperial Household Agency, saying the date of her wedding is still undecided.
She said: “It is still difficult to announce something specific at this time, but we will consult with our families in order to proceed with the marriage.”
Mako stressed her wedding to Mr Komuro is a “necessary choice” for the couple, and that they are “irreplaceable to each other”.
She added: “For us, a marriage is a necessary choice to live and honour our hearts. We are irreplaceable to each other, and we can lean on each other in happy times and in unhappy times.”
READ MORE: Prince Charles proposed to his cousin before marrying Princess Diana but was rejected
It is the second time the Princess has delayed her wedding to Mr Komuro, after originally planning to tie the knot in November 2018.
Japanese reports claim Mr Komuro’s family held up the ceremony due to financial disputes, with the family reportedly owing ¥4 million (£28,922.84) from a loan for Kei’s education.
Mr Komuro’s mother and her former fiancée have been unable to resolve the financial row, with the man expected to shoulder the student loan.
Fumihito has since urged the Komuro family to fix the issues if they want the wedding to go ahead, as it would be “celebrated by many people”.
He added last year, urging his daughter to give an update on the marriage: “I believe something must be announced about it.”
Japanese imperial law dictates that Mako will have to leave the Royal Family before she marries Mr Komuro.
Her aunt, Princess Sayako, was the last royal to lose their title over a wedding to a commoner.
In 2005, Sayako wed Yoshiki Kuroda, a Tokyo city official. and took her husband’s last name.
Japanese officials are debating revoking this rule due to the shrinking size of the Imperial family.
Mako and Mr Komuro met in 2012 while they were both studying at the International Christian University in Tokyo.
They were dating for five years, sometimes long-distance while the Princess studied in the UK, before announcing they would tie the know in September 2017.
Mako said at the time: “Komuro-san has been a warm and encouraging presence in my life.
“The first thing that attracted me was his bright smile that shines like the sun. I was also drawn to how he has a strong will but at the same time makes a lot of effort, and the way he responds to things with an open heart.”
