Plan emerges to preserve Japan royal family by retaining married princesses

A plan has emerged within the Japanese government to enable female members of the imperial family to keep their royal status even if they marry a commoner, sources with knowledge of the matter said Sunday, thus maintaining their branches of the family.The current rules require female royals to give up their imperial status when they marry a commoner, causing the family to become progressively smaller.The dwindling number of imperial family members has again become a focus ahead of the expected marriage later this year of Princess Mako, 29, a niece of Emperor Naruhito, to her boyfriend Kei K…READ FULL ARTICLE