A country is defined by both might and culture

Japan's imperial family has been catching the headlines in recent times. On Wednesday, Japan's Imperial Household Agency announced that 25-year-old Princess Mako, the eldest granddaughter of Emperor Akihito, will marry her college sweetheart Kei Komuro, a commoner, on Nov 4, 2018.

Under Japan's Imperial Household Law, which governs the succession of emperors, women born into the imperial family must officially leave it once they marry commoners. Mako's aunt, Sayako, the only daughter of Emperor Akihito, renounced her imperial title for love, tying the knot in 2005 with a town planner.

Mako's love story has melted the hearts of her peers and drawn praise from the Japanese people. But Emperor Akihito's is the more touchy story.