Japan’s former princess Mako defends marriage to commoner, denounces media for misinformation

Japan's former Princess Mako and her newly-wed husband Kei Komuro held a much-anticipated press briefing yesterday after finally tying the knots.

"We have been horrified, scared and saddened … as false information has been taken as fact and that unfounded stories have spread," she said while defending her marriage to a commoner, reports MarketWatch.

Accompanied by her husband during a 10-minute afternoon address aired on all major networks from a Tokyo hotel, the former princess, now officially Mako Komuro, called husband Kei Komuro "irreplaceable", reports CBS.

Still suffering from stress-related illness amid the firestorm of criticism of the marriage, she said it was "a necessary choice".

Mako, Emperor Naruhito's niece, wed Komuro in a quiet ceremony on Tuesday. The college sweethearts had endured a four-year engagement plagued by a money scandal, intense media scrutiny and a three-year separation from each other, before finally registering their marriage this week.

Targeted online over her romantic choice, Mako was diagnosed with complex post-traumatic stress disorder.

"The flow of arbitrary criticism of Kei's actions, as well as one-sided speculation that ignored my feelings, made falsehoods somehow seem like reality and turn into an unprovoked story that spread," Mako said during the conference.

The couple will relocate to New York. She said that she would like "to just lead a peaceful life in my new environment."