The departure of Princess Mako from the Japanese royal family following her marriage to commoner boyfriend Kei Komuro casts a dark shadow over discussions on imperial succession and the dwindling number of eligible heirs.As the 30-year-old princess and niece of Emperor Naruhito leaves the imperial family, there are only 17 members left in total -- including former Emperor Akihito and former Empress Michiko, both 87, who no longer perform official duties -- of which 12 are women including five unmarried members.The imperial family has been shrinking under the 1947 Imperial House Law, which l…READ FULL ARTICLE