Many people expressed congratulations to Japanese Princess Mako and her boyfriend Kei Komuro following Friday's announcement of their marriage later this month, but some aired concerns over the princess' mental health and a money dispute involving Komuro's family.
Daina Ito, a 21-year-old university student from Sapporo on the northern main island of Hokkaido, was among those who viewed the news positively, saying, "As a woman, I want to celebrate."
Rejecting the malicious comments made online and elsewhere regarding the financial dispute involving Komuro's mother, she said, "We should quietly watch over Princess Mako as she leaves the imperial family."
Yanagiya Sansho, a 64-year-old rakugo storyteller from central Japan's Toyama Prefecture, said Komuro should be able to win over the people "if he shows his cool side as a partner" of the princess. "I want him to speak openly at a press conference (to be held on the day they get married) to show his commitment to a lifelong marriage."
Meanwhile, Yoshiko Urabe, a 74-year-old engaged in home furnishing sales in Morioka in northeastern Japan's Iwate Prefecture, sympathized with the couple, saying, "I've realized how difficult it is to be with the person you love and how serious the status of the imperial family is."
Yet others expressed worries over the revelation by the Imperial Household Agency that Princess Mako, a niece of Emperor Naruhito, has been diagnosed with complex post-traumatic stress disorder caused by what she described as psychological abuse directed at the couple and their families.
"She may have been stressed by all the media reports about Komuro and the attention he was getting from so many people," said Atsuko Tanaka, a 19-year-old university student from Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, who was near the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Friday.
But Tsugumi Nakagawa from Higashiosaka, Osaka Prefecture, said it is difficult to congratulate the couple while issues remain unresolved.
"It may be fine in the beginning when everything is fresh, but will they be able to overcome them once reality sets in?" the 48-year-old asked.
An 83-year-old man in central Japan's Gifu Prefecture said, "I would have opposed the marriage if the princess were my daughter or granddaughter. I feel pity for her because it seems like she is running away" from the country to the United States.
The two should have cleared the problem so people can celebrate with them from the bottom of their hearts, he added.
The couple are expected to relocate to the United States, where Komuro works for a law firm, after registering their marriage in Japan.
Related coverage:
Princess Mako to marry on Oct. 26 despite controversy, suffering PTSD
Details of Princess Mako's marriage to be formally announced Oct. 1
Princess Mako's boyfriend returns to Japan from U.S. for marriage
