Princess Mako’s ‘commoner’ husband Kei Komuro spotted in denim at Bar Exam after FAILING last year

Former Princess Mako’s ‘commoner’ husband Kei Komuro dressed comfortably as he attempted to pass the New York State Bar Exam on day two of the test – having failed his first try just months before his partner sensationally quit the Japanese royal family to start a new life with him in the US.

Mako, 30, who is the eldest daughter of Crown Prince Fumihito and niece of reigning Emperor Naruhito, gave up her royal title to marry ‘commoner’ Komuro last October in a small civil ceremony.

The couple, who were engaged for eight years before tying the knot, have since moved to a one-bedroom apartment in New York, where Komuro works at New-Jersey based firm Lowenstein Sandler LLP. 

Komuro first sat the New York State Bar Exam last July, three months before his wedding to Mako, however it was revealed in November that he had failed.

Now, he is making a second attempt at the qualification, with photographers catching him entering a testing center in New York City on Wednesday to sit the second half of the two-day exam, with the budding lawyer putting on a very casual display in a denim, button down shirt, baggy, navy trousers, and a pair of colorful Star Wars-themed Vans sneakers.   

Photographers caught him entering the second day of the test in a denim, button down shirt, baggy, navy trousers, and a pair of colorful Star Wars-themed Vans sneakers

Komuro also showed off an edgy new look – with his normally cropped hair much longer and pulled back into a ponytail – while holding a coffee cup and wearing a white face mask

If Komuro felt more confident about his performance during his latest exam, he certainly didn’t show it; the budding lawyer looked incredibly somber as he walked into the building.

Komuro also showed off an edgy new look – with his normally cropped hair much longer and pulled back into a ponytail – while holding a coffee cup and wearing a white face mask. 

The casual ensemble and long hairstyle is a marked change from the black suit and tie that Komuro sported during his wedding to Mako four months ago.

The day before, Komuro was seen leaving the first part of the exam. This time, he donned almost the exact same outfit, but added a dark green Tommy Hilfiger puffer jacket to keep himself warm. 

He also carried a black and white duffel bag over his shoulder as he strolled out of the testing center and waited for an Uber to arrive.

The casual ensemble and long hairstyle is a marked change from the black suit and tie that Komuro sported during his wedding to Mako four months ago

Komuro’s Star Wars sneakers cost $170

The day before, Komuro was seen leaving the first part of the exam. This time, he donned almost the exact same outfit, but added a Tommy Hilfiger puffer jacket to keep himself warm 

If Komuro (pictured on Tuesday) felt more confident about his performance during his latest exam, he didn’t show it; the budding lawyer looked incredibly somber as he left the building

Komuro’s latest attempt at the bar exam comes less than a year after he first sat the test in the July 2021, when he had the option to do the test remotely. This time around, no remote option was available to applicants. 

As he did last year, Komuro will now face an agonizing wait of several months before he learns whether or not his second attempt at the exam was successful; typically, candidates who sit the test in February only receive their results in April, meaning that Komuro will not know whether he has passed or failed for two more months.   

The results of the July 2021 exam were posted on the website of the New York State Board of Law Examiners last November. Komuro’s name was not among the successful candidates.  

According to Japanese broadcaster NHK, Komuro phoned lawyer Okuno Yoshihiko, the head of a firm in Japan where he previously worked, to tell him he failed the exam.  

If he fails again, Komuro will have to wait until July of this year to re-take the exam, which is only offered twice a year.

He is able to take the test as many times as he likes until he passes – since New York State does not impose a restriction on the number of attempts a candidate can make. 

Mako, 30, gave up her royal title to marry ‘commoner’ Komuro last October in a small civil ceremony after being engaged for eight years. They are pictured at the wedding

The lawyer has embraced a much more casual look since moving to New York and he has been growing his hair out, shying away from the cropped style he sported at his wedding (pictured)

Komuro was raised by his widowed mother, Kayo. His father died when he was still in elementary school. His jobs in Japan included working in a bank and a French restaurant.

He met Mako in 2013 when they were both studying at the International Christian University outside Tokyo.  

The couple, both now 30, got ‘unofficially engaged’ in 2017, and planned to tie the knot in November 2018.

Initially, the news was greeted with delight in Japan, but then a scandal grew up when it was discovered that Kayo had not repaid a 4million yen ($35,000) loan from a former fiancé, partly to pay her son’s tuition. 

That led critics to suggest Komuro was only marrying the princess for money or fame.

Komuro issued a 24-page explanation about the money – claiming it was a gift not a loan. Eventually, he said he would repay it, although it is not known whether the money has been returned. 

But despite the turmoil Kei and Mako’s love endured, in 2020, the former Princess begged the Japanese public to support her decision. 

‘We are irreplaceable to each other – someone to rely on during both happy and unhappy times,’ she said, announcing the wedding would go ahead. 

‘So a marriage is a necessary choice for us to live while cherishing and protecting our feelings.’ 

Mako and Komuro (pictured in November) moved to New York City just a few weeks after they tied the knot, and they have since been adjusting to their new lives as ‘commoners’ 

Komuro has not lived in Japan for three years – moving to New York shortly after their marriage was postponed for the first time. 

He studied law at Fordham University in the Bronx and then landed a job clerking at Lowenstein Sandler in Manhattan, counseling companies and investors on venture capital financings, mergers, and acquisitions. 

Only male members of the Japanese imperial family are allowed to marry ‘commoners,’ so Mako’s decision to marry for love means a whole slew of new things for her.

For a start, she is no longer considered a princess – and even if the marriage ends in divorce, she can never return to the family.

For the first time in her life, she has a surname and will be known just as Mako Komuro. 

She will also have to apply for a passport – royals don’t need them – so she can move Stateside.

She can no longer live in the Imperial Palace, and any sons that the couple have will not be in the line of succession for the male-only emperorship.

That poses a potential problem for Japan – where there are now only three people allowed by the Imperial Household Law to succeed 61-year-old Emperor Naruhito – and one of those, his uncle Masohito, is 85.   

The other two are Nauruhito’s 55-year-old brother Akishino – Mako’s father – and Mako’s brother Hisahito, 15.