PALACE OR LOVE - A NON-IMPERIAL WEDDING IN JAPAN

A high profile wedding took place in Japan on Monday, October 29, 2018. Princess Ayako of Takamado, the 28-year-old younger daughter of the late first cousin of the Emperor, married to Kei Moriya, 32, a shipping firm employe & bysinessman she had met in December last year. According to the conservative rules of Japanese Imperial House (which member she was), Ayako had to renounce her titles & leave the Imperial family, because her new husband is a commoner. Let's see this nearly Imperial wedding in details!

The ceremony: 

The wedding rites were held in the Meiji Shrine and followed the (Japanese common) shinto doctrine.

The bride arrived at about 10:30 am, with the bridegroom waiting her at the temple's yard. Some 1,000 well wishers had gathered outside to take a glimpse of this ceremony of a regal character and huge symbolical importance. The Temple itself was opened in 1920 and is dedicated to the souls of Ayako's great-great-grandfather, the Emperor Meiji (Mutsuhito), whose reign oversaw rapid modernization & westernization in Japan (also known as the Meiji Restoration) and his wife Empress Shoken (Masako). As the young couple entered the shrine, the crowds outside congratulted them shouting the traditional "Banzai", an aspicious wish for long life. The ceremony took place in one of the pagoda-like buildings inside the shrine complex, attended only by close family members.

The Princess was dressed in a light-yellow uchiki kimono, emboidered with red & green pattern leaves & flowers, wide-legged trousers (tied at the waist & falling to the ankles), and her hair swept back into a ponytail - a traditional look from the Heian era (794-1185 in Japan). In addition she also carried a hiougi (a fan made from Japanese cypress). The bridegroom wore a western-style black morning coat, gray (pin-striped) trousers, and a silk hat that once belonged to Ayako's late father, Prince Takamado. Shortly before the ceremony began, the bride changed to a formal Japanese (shinto style) robe (a red kuchiki - "small cloak" with long, wide sleeves, and a long divided skirt called a naga-bakama). This "colour-change" (iro-naoshi) symbolised her "re-birth" to the new family. The wedding ceremony included some local & westernized rituals, including the exchange of nuptial sake cups, marriage vows & rings, and a sacred offering presented with a Tamagushi branch as well.

On the end of ceremony (after the marriage was registered) the newlyweds exited the shrine to greet the crown again & answer some questions of media representatives. Ayako Moriya (as she became known) stated her happiness that so many people came to celebrate their marriage. She said about the efforts they want to make "to become a couple like my mother and father", concluding that the latter "would have rejoiced at my marriage" if he were alive. The new husband Kei added that he wants to firmly support her and holding hands together "to look forward and build a family full of smiles". The government also extended their congratulations & sincere "wishes for a long & happy life together", expressed by a deputy Secretary on a press conference. The next day (Tuesday, October 30) a (Western-style) wedding banquet at a luxury Tokyo Hotel was attended by the young couple, members of the Imperial family & Moriya family, and about 70 state dignitaries. Ayako wore a pink evening gown, made from Cambodian silk, a gift of Kei's late mother Kimie (an old friend of Ayako's mother) to the Takamado family. Kei wore a black-tie suit. A congratulatory speech was delivered by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, while Crown Prince Naruhito (the bride's second cousin) toasted the Couple towards a joyous family life. Beyond the banquet, no plans for a honeymoon were revealed.

Pre-Wedding ceremonies: 

The first news that Princess Ayako of Takamado became engaged with the Nippon Yusen K.K. shiping company emploee Kei Moriya came to the public on June 26 this year. On Monday July 2, the Princess & her fiance to be (before the official engagement he couldn't be named as such) gave a joint interview to the press, while earlier that day she had received the Emperor's blessings (passed on through the Empress). They were not formally engaged until the Nossai-no-Gi (betrothal) ceremony on August 12 with a messenger of the groom visiting the bride's residence & conveying gifts of proposal. Afterwards a lot of ritual ceremonies took place before the actual wedding. First was the Kokki-no-Gi rite, which was another visit by Moriya' messenger (a 76-year-old groom's relative) to Takamado residence on September 19, and the announcement of proposed wedding date to the bride, which she 'gratefully accepted' (thus making it official). Thence followed a series of visits by Princess Ayako to family shrines & paying respects to predecessors' graves throughout October. The main such visit was the Kashikodokoro-Koreiden-Shinden-ni-Essuru-no-Gi event, held three days before the wedding (on Friday, Oct. 26). Ayako came to the three most important shrines within the Imperial Palace, where the divine spirits of Imperial family's ancestors are believed to be living, and informed them about her intention to marry. She did so performing some religious rituals, wearing a similar to her second wedding dress. Finally she paid an official farewell to Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko at a formal palace reception later that day, so-called Choken-no-Gi.

Official Engagement Photo - 19/8/2018

Official Engagement Photo - 19/8/2018

Something about the newlyweds:

Princess Ayako was born on 15th September 1990, the youngest of three daughters of Norihito, Prince Takamado (the youngest child of Emperor Akihito's uncle, Prince Mikasa) & commoner Hisako Tottori (Princess Takamado by marriage). She was the first member of the Imperial family to be born during Akihito's Reign as Emperor of Japan (the Heisei era in Japanese calendars). Her father died of heart failure in November 2002, at the age of 47. Ayako was educated in noble schools of Japan (visiting New Zealand in a homestay program), and attended Josai International University (JIU, studying Social works) & Camosun Colledge in Canada, having also spent some time at the University of British Columbia in 2015. Currently she is a research fellow in her faculty at JIU. After returning to Japan in 2015 she carried out some official duties, when her studies allowed her so. 

Princess Ayako was introduced to Kei Moriya in December last year by her mother, Princess Hisako (a friend of his parents). The latter was hoping to interest her daughter in welfare activities, while Moriya also participates in the Japanese version of Children without Borders' organisation (Kokkyo Naki Kodomotachi). Kei went to kindergarten in Paris, attending Swiss & British schools, before graduating from the Kleio University. According to some reports he enjoys running in marathons & competing in triathlons. Ayako said to have been attracted by Kei from the first meeting, enjoying time together. Another they have in common is the experience of losing a parent early (Kei's mother died in 2015), which kept them emotionally closed to each other. After some months of companionship he proposed her, with the Princess finally saying 'I do' in April.

Bride's title, patronages & payment-by-the-state:

In accordance with the rules of Imperial Household Agency (that restricts commoners entering the Imperial family), Princess Ayako had to renounce all her titles and styles related to it, after marrying a non royal. While currently male members of the Imperial House can marry a commoner with their wives elevating to the highest positions (both current Empress Michiko & Crown Princess Masako don't descend from aristocracy), female members who choose to do so must leave. However, this time it was decided that Ayako would retain honorary positions of two of the charities she supports, something that never happened before in such cases. The 'Japan-Canada Society' and 'Japan Sea Cadet Federation' - which the former Princess is a patron of - are no limited to royal patronages, and according to an official this decision was made without the intervention of Imperial Household. Although it is supposed that this step was pre-planned, due to the shrinking number of Imperial family members over the last years, so to make it easier to other members get over with a large number of official duties. It was also decided (through a meeting of the Imperial House Economy Council) that Ayako Moriya will receive ¥106,75 (~ $951.6 thousand) from Japanese government (through taxpayers), the highest sume possible by law, so to maintain her high standards of living.

Succession question within the Imperial family:

The departure of Princess Ayako of Takamado from the Imperial House - and the upcoming one of Emperor Akihito's elder granddaughter, Princess Mako of Akishino, expected to be married in 2020 - will leave it 17 members, with 5 of them (including Akihito) older than 70 and retired, or less active over the years. Additionally, only five members are male, with line of succession to the throne (which bans females to ascend the throne), limited to just four heirs. With the upcoming abdication of Emperor Akihito next year (allowed by a special law passed last year amid a conservative legislation), and the accession of Crown Prince Naruhito as the next Emperor (a transition last seen in Japan more than 200 years ago) put on the table once again the question whether to make a constitutional change, allowing female members to succeed the throne, or at least establish their own branches within the Imperial family, and retaining their titles even after marriage. Similar issues were raised in the early 2000s, when the absence of a young male successor endangered the existence of the thousands years' old Japanese monarchy (the oldest and longest-lasting in world's history), until the birth in 2006 of Prince Hisahito of Akishino (Akihito's only grandson), the first male child born into the Imperial family in 41 years. But nonetheless, no matter the change and progress time will bring around the world, Japanese society - a very adoptive, but faithful to its history and ideals - will remain familiar to the most conservative of its traditions as long as possible (putting many more ultimatums like "palace" or "love" to its future members), until those changes will be gradually accepted by the society, or until a vital question will challenge the existence of these traditions (& institutions), so a quick, last-moment decision will need to be taken for the traditions' survival.

Videos of the Imperial Wedding (third in Japanese):

& more additional Links of information:

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/10/29/asia/princess-ayako-wedding-ceremony-intl/index.html

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-royals/japanese-princess-ayako-gives-up-royal-status-to-marry-commoner-idUSKCN1N310V

https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/japan-princess-ayako-wedding-intl/index.html

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/10/31/national/imperial-family-members-abe-among-attend-wedding-banquet-former-princess/#.XCT4XlwzZPb

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meiji_Shrine

http://royalcentral.co.uk/international/princess-ayako-of-takamado-to-marry-businessman-105146

http://royalcentral.co.uk/international/princess-ayako-formally-engaged-to-commoner-kei-moriya-in-betrothal-ceremony-107309

http://royalcentral.co.uk/international/princess-ayako-to-receive-%C2%A5107-million-after-she-marries-commoner-110587

http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201810260041.html

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/10/26/national/japans-princess-ayako-retain-honorary-positions-two-organizations-marriage/#.XCSqflwzZPb

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayako_Moriya

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_Household_Law

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_Household_Agency

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_House_of_Japan

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Japanese_imperial_transition