Japan crown prince says royals should refute extreme attacks
ABC News
Japanese Crown Prince Akishino, the emperor's younger brother, has complained about harsh criticism of his daughter’s recent marriage and suggested that the imperial family should be allowed to refute false and extreme attacks
TOKYO -- Japanese Crown Prince Akishino, the younger brother of Emperor Naruhito, has complained about harsh criticism of his daughter’s recent marriage and suggested that the imperial family should be allowed to refute false and extreme attacks.
Currently, members of the family are generally expected to stoically weather any criticism with little public complaint.
The crown prince's daughter, former Princess Mako, married commoner Kei Komuro, her college sweetheart, last month without a traditional wedding celebration, in part because of public criticism of a financial dispute involving the groom's mother. Their marriage was delayed by three years.
“Libel, whether in magazines or online, is unacceptable,” Akishino said at a news conference that was recorded last week and released Tuesday to mark his 56th birthday.
