The 28-year old tied the knot on Monday, 29th of October, in a Shinto ceremony at Tokyo’s historic Meiji Shrine. Her groom, Kei Moriya, 32, is a shipping executive.
A small group of about 30 family members attended the wedding ceremony, according to news reports.
Ayako, who is the daughter of the emperor’s cousin, spoke to reporters following the ceremony to express her joy.
She said: “How happy I am that so many people have celebrated (our marriage). We want to make efforts to become a couple like my mother and father.”
Marrying a commoner means Ayako is no longer royalty. Women who marry into the imperial family become members of the family, but female royals who marry commoners, like Ayako, must leave. She will lose her status as well as all monetary assets. Reports indicate though that she was given a $950,000 lump sum for living expenses upon her marriage.
With a diminishing royal line however, changes have been brought to the protocol. On Friday, in a historical change that is the first of its kind, Ayako’s mother, Princess Hisako, 65, announced her daughter would continue to retain patronage over two institutions.
Moriya said he hoped to help Ayako adjust to a commoner’s life, telling reporters: “I want us to work together, hand in hand, to create a family filled with smiles.”
Ayako bid farewell to Emperor Akihito last week. She said on Monday that she hoped to continue to help the emperor and empress as a former member of the imperial family.
