The last time the sister of a future emperor of Japan got married, thousands of well-wishers lined the streets as the bride, Princess Sayako, left the palace to attend the ceremony and reception at one of Tokyo’s premier hotels.

But when Princess Mako, 30, a niece of the current emperor and an older sister of the likely future sovereign, married on Tuesday, there was just a simple trip to a registry office in Tokyo, handled by royal representatives.

Still, even without a televised wedding or a balcony kiss, there was a poignant expression of romantic devotion. In a formal news conference on Tuesday afternoon, the groom, Kei Komuro, looked into the camera and declared: “I love Mako. I would like to spend my one life with the person I love.”

The path to that tender moment had been torturous. Not long after the princess and Komuro announced their engagement four years ago, the public began to question her choice. Tabloids revealed that his mother had received 4 million yen, or about $36,000, from an ex-boyfriend whom she had not repaid, leading critics to suggest that Komuro was trying to marry into the imperial family for money or fame.

Princess Mako’s father withheld approval of the marriage, citing the curdled public opinion. The paparazzi chased Komuro, 30, after he left for New York to attend Fordham Law School.

When Komuro returned to Japan late last month to quarantine before the marriage, the scrutiny grew even more frenzied, bordering on the absurd. The media and the public were shocked, simply shocked, by the fact that he arrived from New York sporting a ponytail. One tabloid weekly reported that a royal court official had sneered at Komuro’s choice to wear a pinstripe suit — as opposed to one in solid black or navy — to meet his future in-laws. In some surveys, as many as 80 per cent of respondents have said they opposed the marriage.

Yet after waiting three years for Komuro to finish law school and start a job at a New York law firm, the patient couple, who were college sweethearts at the International Christian University in Tokyo, registered their marriage on Tuesday morning.

At the news conference, held at a hotel less than a mile from the Imperial Palace, the couple sat side by side at a long table and faced a roomful of reporters and a phalanx of cameras. The bride wore a pale blue sheath dress and jacket with a single strand of pearls, while Komuro wore a dark navy-blue striped suit.

New York Times News Service