When last we visited Princess Mako and her boyfriend, Kei Komuro, the couple¡¯s wish to marry had finally received the blessing of her father, Crown Prince Akishino, albeit with lingering reservations.
The media was still set against Komuro as a suitor to royalty for reasons mostly having to do with money, be it the loan his mother had yet to pay back to a former lover or the windfall that Mako would receive upon marrying and which some press outlets implied was Komuro¡¯s reason for pursuing her.
The media¡¯s negative view of Komuro continues to affect public opinion. The March 20 issue of weekly magazine published the results of a survey that showed 97% of respondents were opposed to the marriage. The survey was conducted on the internet, and such research tends to attract respondents who like to complain, but still that¡¯s a pretty overwhelming reaction.
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