Former Japanese princess Mako moved to the United States with her husband Kei Komuro.
Under strict security precautions and accompanied by great media interest, the couple boarded a scheduled flight to New York at Tokyo Airport on Sunday.
When she married a commoner last month, King Naruhito's niece had given up her title of nobility.
The marriage had taken place years late.
Since the engagement announcement in 2017, the couple have been the focus of negative reports and comments.
It was mainly about a loan that Komuro's mother took out from a former fiancé and is said to have not paid back.
Instead of getting married, Komuro finally went to the USA to study law in 2018;
this was seen as a step to escape negative media attention.
He returned to Japan only a few weeks ago.
Post-traumatic stress disorder
At a press conference after the marriage, the two 30-year-olds had for the first time openly announced their grief over the numerous negative reports.
“For me, kei is irreplaceable.
Our marriage is a necessary step to protect our hearts, ”said Mako.
"I've felt scared, sad, and full of pain whenever one-sided rumors have turned into stories with no basis whatsoever."
Komuro expressed regret that his new wife suffered from the negative news coverage.
According to the Imperial Household, Mako has post-traumatic stress disorder due to media reports.
Female members of the Japanese imperial family are excluded from the line of succession.
After marrying a commoner they have to give up their titles of nobility, their children are also excluded from the line of succession.
A change in the regulations has been discussed for some time.