Crown Prince Fumihito, the younger brother of Emperor Naruhito, has said he "approves" of his daughter Princess Mako marrying her university boyfriend Kei Komuro, but reiterated that Komuro's mother must solve a money dispute she is involved in first.

"I mean, I approve of them getting married. The Constitution says marriage shall be based only on the mutual consent of both sexes. If that is what they really want, then I think that is something I need to respect as a parent," the crown prince told a press conference in Tokyo held ahead of his 55th birthday on Monday.

In a statement issued earlier this month, Princess Mako, 29, expressed strong resolve to go ahead with her marriage, which was originally scheduled in 2018 but pushed back following reports of a dispute between Komuro's mother and her former fiance over money, including educational expenses for her son that the man shouldered.

At the time, the Imperial Household Agency quoted the crown prince and his wife Crown Princess Kiko as saying they "respect" the couple's feelings.

His latest comments came as the prince, commonly known as Crown Prince Akishino, was responding to reporters who asked him at the press conference to elaborate on what he meant.

However, he also said no schedule has been set for his daughter's wedding, maintaining his view that the Komuros must resolve the outstanding money issue.

Source: ANNnewsCH