Princess’s wedding a symbol of changing times in Japan

THE wedding today of Japan’s Princess Sayako will be austere by Japanese royal standards — instead of the palace, a Tokyo hotel will be the venue.

There won't be any cake-cutting, wedding ring exchanges or even a honeymoon trip.

Sayako, daughter of Emperor Akihito, is marrying her way right out of the palace, which operates under a 1947 law that makes female blue bloods into commoners upon their nuptials and bars them from assuming the throne.