Yoshiko Otaka
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| Yoshiko Otaka | |
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| Chinese name | 李香蘭 (Traditional) |
| Chinese name | 李香兰 (Simplified) |
| Pinyin | li3 xiang1 lan2 (Mandarin) |
| Jyutping | lei5 hoeng1 laan4 (Cantonese) |
| Birth name | Yamaguchi Yoshiko (山口 淑子) |
| Origin | China |
| Born | February 12, 1920 Fushun, Manchuria, China |
| Other name(s) | Li Xianglan, Shirley Yamaguchi |
| Occupation | Singer, Actress |
| Genre(s) | Mandopop |
| Instrument(s) | Singing |
| Spouse(s) | Isamu Noguchi (1952-1957) Hiroshi Otaka (1958 - 2001) |
Yoshiko Otaka (大鷹 淑子 Ōtaka Yoshiko?), (English Name: Shirley Yamaguchi) born February 12, 1920 is a China-born Japanese actress and singer who made a career in China, Japan, Hong Kong, and the United States. By the 1940s, she became one of the Seven great singing stars.[1] She was elected as a member of parliament in Japanese Government in 1970's and served for 18 years.
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[edit] Early life
Yoshiko Otaka was born Yamaguchi Yoshiko (山口 淑子) to Japanese parents, (father, Yamaguchi Fumio 山口 文雄) who were then settlers in Fushun in Manchuria.
Yamaguchi Fumio was an employee of the South Manchuria Railway. From an early age, Yoshiko was exposed to Mandarin Chinese. Yamaguchi Fumio had some influential Chinese acquaintances, among whom were Li Jichun (李際春) and Pan Yugui (潘毓桂). By Chinese custom for those who became sworn brothers, they as well became Yoshiko's "godfathers" and bestowed upon her two Chinese names, Li Xianglan (李香蘭) and Pan Shuhua 潘淑華. ("Shu" in Shuhua and "Yoshi" in Yoshiko are written with the same Chinese character). Yoshiko later used the former name as a stage name and assumed the latter name while she was staying with the Pan family in Beijing.
Yoshiko received her initial classical vocal education from an Italian dramatic soprano (married into White Russian nobility). She later received schooling in Peking, polishing her Mandarin, accommodated by the Pan family.
[edit] Career in China
Yoshiko made her debut as an actress and singer in the 1938 film Honeymoon Express 蜜月快車, by Manchuria Film Production. She was billed as Li Xianglan (Chinese: 李香蘭; pinyin: Lǐ Xīanglán), pronounced Ri Kōran in Japanese. The adoption of a Chinese stage name was prompted by the Film company's economic and political motives—a Manchurian girl who had command over both the Japanese and Chinese languages was sought after. From this she rose to be a star and Japan-Manchuria Goodwill Embassadress (日満親善大使). Though in her subsequent films she was almost exclusively billed as Li Xianglan, she indeed appeared in a few as "Yamaguchi Yoshiko". Many of her films bore some degree of promotion of the Japanese national policy (in particular pertaining to the Greater East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere ideology) and can be termed "National Policy Films" (国策映画).
The 1940 film Chinese Nights (支那の夜) also known as Shanghai Nights (上海の夜), by Manchuria Film Productions, is especially controversial. In this film, billed as Li Xianglan, Yoshiko portrayed a young woman of extreme anti-Japanese sentiment who came to fall in love with a Japanese man. A key turning point in the film has the young Chinese woman being slapped by the Japanese man, but instead of hatred, she reacts with gratitude. The film was met with great aversion among the Chinese audience as they believed that the Chinese female character was a sketch of debasement and inferiority, whereas their contemporary Japanese audience probably viewed such discipline of the woman by her mate with a certain Romantic notion. A few years later, when confronted by angry Chinese reporters in Shanghai, Yoshiko apologized and cited as pretext her inexperienced youth at the time of the filmmaking, choosing not to reveal her Japanese identity. Though her Japanese nationality was never divulged in the Chinese media until after the Sino-Japan war, it was brought to light by Japanese press when she performed in Japan under her assumed Chinese name and as the Japan-Manchuria Goodwill Embassadress.
In 1942, Yoshiko appeared in the film Leaving a good name for posterity (萬世流芳). The film was shot in Shanghai in commemoration to the centennial of the Opium War. A few top Chinese stars in Shanghai also appeared in the film and consequently endured the repercussion of controversy. The film was of anti-British nature and a collaboration between Chinese and Japanese film companies. Nonetheless, its anti-Colonization undertone might also be interpreted as a satire to the Japanese expansion in east Asia. Regardless, the film was a hit and Yoshiko a national sensation. Her film theme songs in the curious style of coloratura soprano with jazz/pop-like instrumental, "Candy-peddling song" (賣糖歌) and "Quiting (opium) song" (戒煙歌) elevated her status to be among the top singers in all Chinese-speaking regions in Asia overnight. Many songs recorded by Yoshiko during her Shanghai period became evergreen classics in Chinese popular music history. Another noteworthy one is Tuberoses (夜來香).
[edit] Japan, United States, and Hong Kong
At the end of World War II, she was arrested by Chinese government for treason and collaboration with the Japanese. However, she was cleared of all charges since she was not a Chinese national, and thus the Chinese government could not try her for treason. And before long, in 1946, she settled in Japan and launched a new acting career there, under the name Yoshiko Yamaguchi. In the 1950s she established her acting career as Shirley Yamaguchi in Hollywood and on Broadway in the U.S., and appeared in several films made in Hong Kong. She returned to Japan, and after retiring from the world of film in 1958, she appeared as a hostess and anchorwoman on TV talk shows.
In 1967 she became the host of The Three O'Clock You (Sanji no anata) TV show, reporting on Palestine as well as the Vietnam War.
In 1974, she was elected to the House of Councilors (the upper House of the Japanese parliament), where she served for 18 years (three terms). She co-authored the book, Ri Koran, Watashi no Hansei (Half My Life as Ri Koran). She now serves as a Vice-President of the Asian Women’s Fund.
Otaka was considered by many Chinese to be a spy for the Japanese and a traitor to the Chinese.[2] As noted above, she could not be convicted as a Chinese traitor because she was actually Japanese. This misconception was caused by Otaka's passing of herself off as a Chinese throughout the 1930s and 1940s (hence the Chinese thought her a traitor, but in fact she was a Japanese war propagandist/actress). Otaka's Japanese identity did not come out until after the war when she had to prove that she was not Chinese to avoid being branded a traitor. Otaka expressed guilt in her portrayal "of a Chinese woman useful for Japanese purpose." She also did not visit China for 20 years or so after the war. She was very uneasy even flying over Beijing and felt that the Chinese had not "forgotten for a moment what you (she) did during the war." She does not feel she is "done making amends."[3]
[edit] Names
Credited as Shirley Yamaguchi in Hollywood movies House of Bamboo (1955) and Japanese War Bride (1952). Once nicknamed The Judy Garland of Japan.
Other names used as movie actress:
- Li Hsiang-lan
- Li Hsiang Lan
- Ri Koran
- Li Xiang Lan
- Hsiang-lan Li
- Xianglan Li
- Li Xianglan
- Yoshiko Yamaguchi
[edit] Filmography
-
"The Evening Primrose/Tuberose" (夜來香) A 1930s shidaiqu style mandopop song by Li Xianglan - Problems playing the files? See media help.
- The Unforgettable Night (1958) as Ge Qiuxia
- A Holiday in Tokyo (1958) as May Kawaguchi
- Ankoru watto monogatari utsukushiki aishu (1958)
- The Lady of Mystery (1957)
- Robert Montgomery Presents as Hana
- The Enemy (1957) as Hana
- The Legend of the White Serpent (1956) as Madam White
- Navy Wife (1956) as Akashi
- House of Bamboo (1955) as Mariko
- Jin ping mei (1955) as Pan Jinlian
- The United States Steel Hour (1954) as Presento
- The Last Embrace (1953) as Yukiko Nogami
- Fuun senryobune (1952)
- Shanhai no onna (1952) (as Yoshiko Yamaguchi) .... Li Lili (Singer)
... aka Woman of Shanghai (International: English title)
- Sengoku burai (1952) (as Yoshiko Yamaguchi) .... Oryo
... aka Sword for Hire ... aka Vagabonds in a Country at War (Japan: literal English title)
- Muteki (1952) (as Yoshiko Yamaguchi)
... aka Foghorn (USA) ... aka Kiribue (Japan)
- Japanese War Bride (1952) .... Tae Shimizu
- Shubun (1950) (as Yoshiko Yamaguchi) .... Miyako Saijo
... aka Scandal ... aka Shubun - Sukyandaru (Japan)
- Akatsuki no dasso (1950) (as Yoshiko Yamaguchi) .... Harumi
... aka Escape at Dawn
- Kikoku (Damoi) (1949)
... aka Repatriation (International: English title)
- Ningen moyo (1949) (as Yoshiko Yamaguchi)
... aka Design of a Human Being ... aka Human Patterns (USA)
- Waga shogai no kagayakeru hi (1948) (as Yoshiko Yamaguchi)
... aka The Bright Day of My Life (International: English title)
- Koun no isu (1948) (as Yoshiko Yamaguchi)
- Yasen gungakutai (1944) (as Ri Koran) .... Ai Ran
- Watashi no uguisu (1944) (as Ri Koran)
... aka Unmei no utahime (Japan: reissue title)
- Chikai no gassho (1943) (as Ri Koran)
- Sayon no kane (1943) (as Ri Koran) .... Sayon
... aka Sayon's Bell (International: English title)
- Tatakai no machi (1943)
... aka Fighting Street (International: English title)
- Ying chun hua (1942) (as Li Xiang Lan)
- Wan shi liu fang (1942) (as Li Xiang Lan)
- Soshu no yoru (1941) (as Ri Koran)
... aka Suchow Night (International: English title)
- Kimi to boku (1941) (as Ri Koran)
- Tie xie hui xin (1941) (as Li Xiang Lan)
... aka Utsukushiki gisei (Japan)
- Nessa no chikai (1940) (as Ri Koran) .... Li Fangmei
... aka Vow in the Desert (International: English title)
- Enoken no songokû: songokû zenko-hen (1940) .... Oriental Woman
... aka Monkey Sun ... aka Songokû (Japan: short title) ... aka Songoku (Volume 1) (first part title) ... aka Songoku (Volume 2) (second part title)
- Shina no yoru (1940) (as Ri Koran) .... Japanese orphan
... aka China Night (International: English title)
- Toyuki (1940) (as Ri Koran) .... Liqin, typist
- Byakuran no uta (1939) (as Li Hsiang-lan) .... Li Xue Xiang
- Mi yue kuai che (1938) (as Li Xiang Lan) .... Bride
[edit] Movies about her
- Fuji Television made a TV movie "Sayonara Ri Kouran" starring Yasuko Sawaguchi in 1989, as a special project to commemorate their 30th anniversary.
- A two-part TV movie "Ri Kouran" starring Aya Ueto was made about her early life in China in 2006. The movie was broadcast in Japan by TV Tokyo on February 11th and 12th in 2007.
- Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Koreeda is also planning a feature film based on her story.
- She is likely the inspiration for a character in the video game/anime franchise Sakura Wars, whose name is pronounced the same way but written with different kanji.
[edit] References and Notes
- ^ Baidu. Bai Guang. Retrieved on 2007-04-28.
- ^ A Star By Any Other Name: The (After) Lives of Li Xianglan by Shelley Stephenson. Published in Quarterly Review of Film and Video, Volume 19, Issue 1 January 2002.
- ^ Interview with Ri Koran by Tanaka, et al. "Looking Back on My Days as Ri Koran (Li Xianglan)" on ZNet (Zmag.org) January 26, 2005. Article appeared in Sekai, September 2003, pp.171-75.
