Princess Ayako, the youngest daughter of Emperor Akihito's late cousin, will retain honorary positions at two organizations even after leaving the imperial family following her marriage to a commoner next week, the Imperial Household Agency and the bodies' officials said Friday.No other female imperial family member has ever continued to serve in such positions after becoming a commoner upon marriage, according to the agency.The move comes amid concerns about the shrinking number of imperial family members performing public duties as women lose their royal status after marrying a commoner u…READ FULL ARTICLE
