Japan’s Princess Mako Blames Media for Her PTSD to Marry as Palace

Sarkar said Mako, 29, would also marry aspiring lawyer Kei Komuro, who is 29 years old. Mr. Komuro, a native of Japan, is employed by the New York-based law firm Lowenstein Sandler LLP after graduating from Fordham Law this year.

Local news reports said the couple plans to live in New York, where Mr. Comuro has taken the state bar exam. He hopes to find out later this year if he has passed.

Mako and Mr. Komuro announced their engagement in 2017, but postponed the wedding to the next year following reports about a financial dispute between Mr. Komuro’s mother and an ex-boyfriend, who paid for Mr. Komuro’s college education. helped to do. Earlier this year, Mr. Komuro released a 28-page statement saying his mother believed the money was a gift and that he had done nothing wrong.

Japan’s shoddy weekly magazines and other media outlets have piled up since the initial reporting. He examined Mr. Komuro’s family history, including his father’s suicide, and criticized the ponytail he wore on his return to Japan from his New York job this week.

The palace said Friday that in response to the coverage, Mako developed complex post-traumatic stress disorder. The World Health Organization states that complex PTSD is a form of the disorder in which a patient’s response to traumatic events can include negative beliefs about themselves and relationship difficulties.

Suyoshi Akiyama, a psychotherapist, attended a palace briefing for Japanese media to describe the princess’s symptoms, which she said included an inability to concentrate, lack of energy, and irritability. Dr. Akiyama said he hoped the symptoms would improve if Mako was no longer in what were described as derogatory comments about him and his fiancée.

Mako expressed his concern last year about living in uncertainty. In a November statement released by the palace, she said she was aware that many people were expressing negative views about her engagement to Mr. Komuro, but that “marriage is, for us, a necessary choice to survive. Because we protect and value our soul.”

Mako is at least the second female royal in this century to receive a mental-health diagnosis. Queen Masako was diagnosed with an adjustment disorder in the early 2000s when she was Crown Princess, and is still described as recovering.

Mako’s father, Crown Prince Akishino, is first in line to inherit the chrysanthemum throne occupied by his older brother, Emperor Naruhito. Akishino has objected to his daughter marrying Mr. Komuro, saying that he does not believe that the union can be wholeheartedly celebrated by the Japanese. But he said last year he would not stand in Mako’s way if he made up his mind.

After World War II, Japan’s imperial family consisted of just 18 people. There are no single men other than Mako’s 15-year-old brother, Prince Hisahito, so any royal woman wishing to marry should do so with a man of normalcy. After marriage, a royal woman loses her royal status.

After her marriage on 26 October, Mako’s legal name would be Mako Komuro, and she would receive rights such as the right to vote to regular Japanese citizens.

Royal ladies typically receive parting gifts worth more than $1 million to help them adjust to normal life. The government said that Mako would reduce the money and drop other traditional ceremonies.

Isao Tokoro, a retired professor at Kyoto Sangyo University and an expert on royal family history, said that by defying money and formalities, Mako was withdrawing him from the semi-public role adopted by the family and some former royals.

“It’s a kind of announcement to break ties,” Mr Tokoro said. “It would be seen as practically the equivalent of running away.”

Mr Tokoro said it may be difficult for Mako to return to Japan after living as a layman in New York. He said, “He has chosen the hard path of thorns.”

Many Japanese have expressed mixed feelings about the marriage, saying that they want Mako to be happy but are not sure about her fiancée. Tokuji Kobayakawa, 66, of Tokyo, said that although he doubted Mr. Komuro, Mako had a constitutional right to make his own choice.

“It is a matter of basic human rights. Others should not interfere,” Mr Kobayakawa said.