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world news Dialuna 15 november 2021

Japan's former princess leaves for US with commoner husband

(AP) — A Japanese prin- ing their marriage in Tokyo. up financially supporting her
cess who gave up her royal They did so without a wed- husband.
status to marry her com- ding banquet or any of the
moner college sweetheart other usual celebratory ritu- Mako is the niece of Emperor
arrived in New York on als. Naruhito, who also married a
Sunday, as the couple pur- "I want to live the only life I commoner, Masako. Masako
sued happiness as new- have with the person I love," often suffered mentally in
lyweds and left behind a he said. the cloistered, regulated life
nation that has criticized of the imperial family. The
their romance. Although Japan appears negative media coverage sur-
modern in many ways, values rounding Mako's marriage
The departure of Mako Ko- about family relations and gave her what palace doc-
muro, the former Princess the status of women often are tors described last month as a
Mako, and Kei Komuro, seen as somewhat antiquated, form of traumatic stress dis-
both 30, was carried live by rooted in feudal practices. order.
major Japanese broadcasters, Such views were accentuated
showing them boarding a in the public's reaction to the Former Emperor Akihito, the
plane amid a flurry of camera marriage. Some Japanese feel father of the current emper-
flashes at Haneda Airport in they have a say in such mat- or, was the first member of
Tokyo. ters because taxpayer money the imperial family to marry family members have only from the U.S. in September,
supports the imperial family a commoner. His father was titles and must leave if they the couple was reunited for
Photos posted online showed system. the emperor under whom Ja- marry commoners. the first time in three years.
the couple arriving at JFK pan fought in World War II. Mako is the daughter of the They met while attending
Airport. Other princesses have mar- emperor's younger brother, Tokyo's International Chris-
ried commoners and left the The family holds no political and her 15-year-old brother tian University a decade ago.
Kei Komuro, a graduate of palace. But Mako is the first power but serves as a symbol is expected to eventually be
Fordham University law to have drawn such a public of the nation, attending cer- emperor. In announcing their mar-
school, has a job at a New outcry, including a frenzied emonial events and visiting riage, the former princess, a
York law firm. He has yet to reaction on social media and disaster zones, and remains Complicating the former museum curator, made her
pass his bar exam, another in local tabloids. relatively popular. princess's marriage, an- choice clear.
piece of news that local me- nounced in 2017, was a fi-
dia have used to attack him, Speculation ranged from Mako's loss of royal sta- nancial dispute involving Kei "He is someone I cannot do
although it is common to whether the couple could af- tus comes from the Impe- Komuro's mother. That issue without," she said. "Marriage
pass after multiple attempts. ford to live in Manhattan to rial House Law, which allows was recently settled, accord- is that decision needed for us
how much money Kei Ko- only male succession. Only ing to Kyodo news service. to live on, staying true to our
"I love Mako," he told report- muro would earn and if the male royals have household hearts."
ers last month after register- former princess would end names, while female imperial When Kei Komuro returned

Italian city defies China, opens exhibit by dissident artist

(AP) — A provocative ex- A letter from the embassy until Feb. 13, traces Badi- from China's government's
hibit by dissident Chinese included veiled economic Brescia Mayor Emilio Del ucao's artistic career from its narrative would be pun-
artist Badiucao opened threats, noting Italy's trade Bono "responded with deli- start to most recent works ished, so I made a public call
Saturday in the industrial with China, in a bid to pre- cacy and firmness," said Elet- created in response to the on Twitter to the residents
northern Italian city of vent the first solo exhibit by tra Stamboulis, curator of the health crisis triggered by the of Wuhan and said I'd like
Brescia despite pressure Badiucao — the pseudonym exhibit at the city's Museum COVID-19 pandemic. A to share the burden and risk
from the Chinese embassy used by the artist whose work of Santa Giulia. former assistant to the Ber- with you, if you trust me you
in Rome to cancel it. takes aim at China's policies lin-based Chinese dissident can send your information,"
and human rights record. "Of course we are always a artist Ai Weiwei, Badiucau Badiucao said.
little worried, not so much currently works in exile from
for the artist's safety, but be- Australia. The diary, which will be read
cause we know there are in Mandarin, contains 100
more creepy ways to silence The works range from oil days of records.
dissident artists," she said. paintings to installations and
performance art. They in- The artist kept his identity
After a previous attempt to clude one that evokes a scan- secret for many years, wear-
stage a solo show in Hong dal involving tainted baby ing masks during public ap-
Kong in 2018 was canceled formula exported by China pearances to protect his fam-
under pressure, Badiucao in 2018, another that recalls ily members. The long-held
said he is "proud and happy" the Tiananmen Square mas- secrecy drew comparisons to
that the Brescia exhibit is fi- sacre and yet another that British graffiti artist Banksy,
nally open to the public. represents the Umbrella whose true identity remains
Movement as part of the shrouded in mystery.
"Because my art is always Hong Kong pro-democracy
focusing on human rights demonstrations quelled by But Badiucao said any com-
issues in China ... it makes China. parison misses key points.
me almost the type of No. 1
enemy,'' Badiucao said. "They During the exhibit's open- "If Banksy's identity gets re-
hunt me down. They ha- ing days, Badiucao will sit in vealed he is not or she is not
rass me, harass my families, a torture chair and read from going to be hunted by the
threatening the people work- a diary shared with him by a UK's national security police,
ing with me constantly. So resident of Wuhan, the Chi- which in my case is totally
that is why, for me, it is re- nese city where the coronavi- different," he said. "But also,
ally hard to actually having an rus was first detected. I am really mad at Banksy, be-
exhibition in an established a cause he never does any art-
gallery, a museum like this." "Anyone who tried to tell the work that criticizes the Chi-
The exhibition, which runs truth or some story different nese government."