Bad debts and Korean blood: Japanese tabloids in a frenzy after Princess Mako’s wedding postponed
The abrupt announcement that the wedding was being put off came with little warning, and the decision was attributed to a lack of time to prepare and a desire to avoid overloading the imperial family’s schedule
Officially, the wedding scheduled for November between Japan’s Princess Mako and Kei Komuro has been delayed by more than one year because the couple had insufficient time to make all the necessary preparations and they did not want their celebrations to clash with the abdication of the emperor in 2019.
Unofficially, the Imperial Household Agency – the power behind Japan’s Chrysanthemum Throne – has stepped in after a rash of media reports alleging the mother of Komuro, a commoner who works as a paralegal, borrowed 4 million yen (US$36,700) from her former fiancée to cover her son’s education expenses and then declined to pay it back.
According to reports in the Japanese media, Komuro’s mother said she regarded the money as a “gift”.
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Lionel Messi and Inter Miami tour to China plunges into further chaos as organisers cancel second match against Chengdu
- Tour’s organisers give no clear explanation for cancelling the match between Miami and Chengdu Rongcheng, simply citing ‘various reasons’
- Major League Soccer side are still scheduled to play Qingdao on November 5, despite a last-minute location change as well as ticketing issues
Chinese football fans are at a loss amid more confusion and uncertainty surrounding Lionel Messi’s trip to China with Inter Miami, just six days before the team’s supposed arrival.
Miami, who had been scheduled to play two friendlies against Chinese Super League sides Qingdao Hainiu and Chengdu Rongcheng on November 5 and 8, are now set to play only one match.
The US club were on track to play Chengdu at the 60,000-capacity Phoenix Hill Sports Park, but organisers announced an ambiguous cancellation of the match between Miami and Chengdu.
“We are sorry that the second leg of Inter Miami Football Club’s trip to China will not be held in Chengdu due to various reasons. We ask for your understanding,” the tour’s organisers said in a statement on Friday.
The last-minute change infuriated fans looking to buy a ticket to watch the legendary Argentine play.
To further complicate things for supporters, the ticketing platform barred people from buying tickets which were supposedly going on sale at 4pm on Thursday, claiming the ticketing information to be false.
In addressing the inconsistencies regarding the tour, organisers said: “The current time and location of the Miami International Football Club related games at the Messi China Tour Chengdu leg on November 8, 2023, schedule and ticket information are all false information.”
After announcing the change in location for the match against Qingdao, Miami’s website had yet to address the second leg’s cancellation and the ticketing issues.
“The organiser is rubbish,” one fan wrote on China’s Twitter-like platform, Weibo. “If it doesn’t work well, you don’t have to do it.”
Another called the organisers “shameful” in a post. “If you rush to do something, you will quit when there are difficulties, and you will make announcements to continue doing it. How about cancelling it directly now? Do you respect the fans and the media?”