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Japan’s Princess Mako Gives up Title as She Weds Her College Sweetheart

Japan’s Princess Mako and her husband Kei Komuro attend a news conference to announce their wedding at Grand Arc Hotel in Tokyo, Japan, October 26, 2021. (Reuters)
Japan’s Princess Mako and her husband Kei Komuro attend a news conference to announce their wedding at Grand Arc Hotel in Tokyo, Japan, October 26, 2021. (Reuters)
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Japan’s Princess Mako Gives up Title as She Weds Her College Sweetheart

Japan’s Princess Mako and her husband Kei Komuro attend a news conference to announce their wedding at Grand Arc Hotel in Tokyo, Japan, October 26, 2021. (Reuters)
Japan’s Princess Mako and her husband Kei Komuro attend a news conference to announce their wedding at Grand Arc Hotel in Tokyo, Japan, October 26, 2021. (Reuters)

Japan’s Princess Mako, the niece of the emperor, married college sweetheart Kei Komuro on Tuesday, giving up her royal title and saying she was determined to build a happy life with her “irreplaceable” husband after a tumultuous engagement.

In an unusually frank joint news conference with her new husband, Mako said “incorrect” news reports about Komuro had caused her great sadness, stress and fear.

She was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) earlier this year after a four-year engagement plagued by money scandals and intense media scrutiny.

“I’m aware that there are various views on our marriage. I feel very sorry for those (for) whom we have caused trouble ...,” said Mako, who will from now be known as Mako Komuro, having had to give up her royal title after marrying a commoner, in line with Japanese law.

“For us, marriage is a necessary choice to live while cherishing our hearts”

The two, 30, were married in the morning after an official from the Imperial Household Agency (IHA), which runs the family’s lives, submitted paperwork to a local office registering their marriage.

The couple broke with tradition by foregoing the rituals and ceremonies usual to royal weddings, including a reception, while Mako also refused the one-off payment of about $1.3 million typically made to royal women who leave the imperial family after marriage.

Japan initially cheered the couple’s engagement announcement four years ago, but things turned sour soon after, when the tabloids reported on a money scandal involving Komuro’s mother, prompting the press to turn on him and the marriage to be postponed. Komuro left Japan for law studies in New York in 2018 only to return in September.

During the press conference, Komuro said he loved Mako and pledged to support and protect her, unusually open language for anyone connected to Japanese royalty.

“I want to spend the only life I have with the one I love,” he said.

Television footage earlier showed Mako, wearing a pastel dress and pearls, saying goodbye to her parents and 26-year-old sister, Kako, at the entrance to their home. Though all wore masks in line with Japan’s coronavirus protocol, her mother could be seen blinking rapidly, as if to fight off tears.

Though Mako bowed formally to her parents, her sister grabbed her shoulders and the two shared a long embrace.

Komuro, dressed in a crisp dark suit and tie, bowed briefly to camera crews gathered outside his home as he left in the morning but said nothing. His casual demeanor on returning to Japan, including a ponytail which was cut before the marriage, had sent tabloids into a frenzy.

Money scandal
Just months after the two announced their engagement at a news conference where the smiles they exchanged won the hearts of the nation, tabloids reported a financial dispute between Komuro’s mother and her former fiancé, with the man claiming mother and son had not repaid a debt of about $35,000.

The scandal spread to mainstream media after the IHA failed to provide a clear explanation. In 2021, Komuro issued a 24-page statement on the matter and also said he would pay a settlement.

Public opinion polls show the Japanese are divided about the marriage, and there has been at least one protest.

Analysts say the problem is that the imperial family is so idealized that not the slightest hint of trouble with things such as money or politics should touch them.

The fact that Mako’s father and younger brother, Hisahito, are both in the line of succession after Emperor Naruhito, whose daughter is ineligible to inherit, makes the scandal particularly damaging, said Hideya Kawanishi, an associate professor of history at Nagoya University.

“Though it’s true they’ll both be private citizens, Mako’s younger brother will one day become emperor, so some people thought anybody with the problems he (Komuro) had shouldn’t be marrying her,” Kawanishi added.

The two will live in New York after Mako applies for the first passport of her life.

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Varieties

Does Fasting Stress You? Here’s the Role of Cortisol and How to Manage It

Deep breathing exercises, remembrance, and brief meditation before sleep may reduce stress markers (Pexels).
Deep breathing exercises, remembrance, and brief meditation before sleep may reduce stress markers (Pexels).
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Does Fasting Stress You? Here’s the Role of Cortisol and How to Manage It

Deep breathing exercises, remembrance, and brief meditation before sleep may reduce stress markers (Pexels).
Deep breathing exercises, remembrance, and brief meditation before sleep may reduce stress markers (Pexels).

Fasting during Ramadan is both a spiritual and a health practice that benefits the body and mind. Medical studies, however, show that fasting can sometimes raise levels of cortisol, the hormone commonly known as the stress hormone. Elevated cortisol may have noticeable effects on mood, including irritability, anxiety, and tension, making emotional regulation more challenging during long fasting hours.

Cortisol is released by the adrenal glands according to a natural daily rhythm, higher in the morning and lower in the evening. This rhythm, however, can be disrupted by poor sleep, dehydration, or physical and mental stress.

So how can cortisol levels be kept in balance during fasting? Here are key practical guidelines:

1. Prioritize sleep. It is central to hormonal balance. Sleep disruption increases stress and interferes with cortisol regulation. To minimize this effect:

Aim for a total of 7 to 8 hours of sleep, including nighttime rest and a short daytime nap if needed.

Keep sleep and wake times as consistent as possible.

Limit screen exposure for at least one hour before bedtime.

2. Break your fast in a balanced way to avoid blood sugar spikes. Research links blood sugar fluctuations to heightened stress responses. For that reason:

Start with fluids and a moderate amount of dates, followed by a meal that includes protein and fiber.

Avoid excessive simple sugars, which can cause a rapid rise and fall in blood glucose, triggering cortisol release.

3. Carbohydrates matter; do not eliminate them. While reducing refined sugars is beneficial, including moderate amounts of healthy carbohydrates - such as oats, whole-grain bread, potatoes, or fruit - at iftar and suhoor helps stabilize blood sugar gradually after fasting.

This balance helps prevent excessive cortisol release and reduces irritability, tension, and anxiety during fasting hours.

4. Maintain hydration between sunset and dawn. Dehydration places additional stress on the body. Health authorities recommend spreading fluid intake after iftar:

Drink water gradually between iftar and suhoor.

Limit caffeinated beverages, as they may interfere with sleep and increase stress.

5. Engage in moderate physical activity. Moderate movement supports healthy stress regulation:

Opt for light walking or stretching about two hours after iftar.

Avoid intense exercise during prolonged fasting hours.

6. Use relaxation techniques. Deep breathing, remembrance, and brief meditation before sleep may help lower stress markers.

US medical sources recommend daily relaxation practices lasting 5 to 10 minutes to support hormonal balance related to stress.

7. Be mindful of caffeine and sugar at night. Heavy coffee intake or frequent sweets during late Ramadan gatherings can disrupt sleep, affecting cortisol levels the following day. Keep your last cup of coffee before midnight and limit desserts to small portions.

8. Consult your doctor if you have a medical condition. If you have hormonal disorders, elevated blood sugar, or high blood pressure, medical guidance is important to adjust medications and dosing schedules during fasting.

Cortisol plays an essential role in energy regulation and the body’s stress response, but maintaining healthy levels depends on consistent sleep, balanced nutrition, adequate hydration, and moderate activity. With thoughtful planning during Ramadan, it is possible to support energy and focus throughout the month, rather than struggling with irritability, anger, and stress.

Varieties

Jazan Marks Founding Day with 1,500 Banners and Regional Festivities

The region is set to host a diverse lineup of events, including national performances - SPA
The region is set to host a diverse lineup of events, including national performances - SPA
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Jazan Marks Founding Day with 1,500 Banners and Regional Festivities

The region is set to host a diverse lineup of events, including national performances - SPA
The region is set to host a diverse lineup of events, including national performances - SPA

The Jazan Municipality has finalized its preparations for Founding Day, decorating the region with over 1,500 banners and a comprehensive visual identity, SPA reported.

Streets, parks, and public squares across the city and its governorates have been transformed to reflect national pride and the joy of the local community.

In collaboration with various government departments, the region is set to host a diverse lineup of events, including national performances, folk arts, and heritage displays unique to Jazan.

Varieties

Scottish Antiques Auction Selling Neck Shackles Accused of ‘Profiting from Slavery’

“I think it’s important not to upset and offend, but shock people into learning the whole truth,” the auctioneer, Marcus Salter, said. (Cheeky Auctions Tain)
“I think it’s important not to upset and offend, but shock people into learning the whole truth,” the auctioneer, Marcus Salter, said. (Cheeky Auctions Tain)
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Scottish Antiques Auction Selling Neck Shackles Accused of ‘Profiting from Slavery’

“I think it’s important not to upset and offend, but shock people into learning the whole truth,” the auctioneer, Marcus Salter, said. (Cheeky Auctions Tain)
“I think it’s important not to upset and offend, but shock people into learning the whole truth,” the auctioneer, Marcus Salter, said. (Cheeky Auctions Tain)

An antiques auction selling chains linked to the enslavement of African people in Zanzibar has been accused of “profiting from slavery,” according to The Guardian.

The shackles, dated to 1780 and valued at about £1,000, are among objects listed in the auction, called “Challenging History.”

The auctioneer Marcus Salter, of Cheeky Auctions in Tain, Ross, said he wanted to ensure history was confronted with the sale of the “sensitive artifact” and did not wish to offend.

“I think it’s important not to upset and offend, but shock people into learning the whole truth,” Salter said. “There are certain things we’re not allowed to sell at auction. We had to check with the platform we’re selling with that we could do this. They consider the slave chains to be a historical artefact, therefore we can.

But Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy, who chairs the all-party parliamentary group for Afrikan reparations, said trading in such items meant people were “continuing to profit from the slave trade.”

She said, “If they were to be put in a museum I would understand, but buying and selling them like oddities is the same thing that people do when it comes to human remains– treating them as collector’s items, something to be fetishized rather than items that should be looked at in horror.”

Salter said he was selling the chains for a dealer whose father had owned them for 50 years, adding: “No matter what happens there’s going to be money made out of it from somewhere.”

He claimed if the item was donated to a museum, it could be “put into storage and never seen again”, and that slavery-linked mahogany was sold and used without controversy.

In 2024, the Antiques Roadshow expert Ronnie Archer-Morgan refused to value an ivory bangle linked to enslavement.

Caecilia Dance, an associate at London law firm Wedlake Bell, has advised on the restitution of Nazi-looted art. Dance said she could not comment on the auction, but that there was “no specific law against” trading objects linked to slavery.

She added that “public interest stewardship” – donation, sale, or long-term loan to a museum with relationships with affected communities – would be the “ideal management pathway” for an item linked to slavery.