link to "I Want to Meet that Star Again"
BS Asahi: I Want
to Meet that Star Again (August 2016)
This show featured 4 guests who shared their memories of YY
while also viewing video clips of her past.
Akira Takarada (Actor)
·
Was a former Toho Studio star famous for the
Godzilla movies, appeared in over 200 movies in his career
·
Born in Korea, grew up in Harbin until repatriating
back to Japan in 1947
·
Remembers watching YY’s movies (Chinese Continent
Trilogy) at the Asia Theatre in Harbin with his parents. In particular, he enjoyed “Nessa no Chikai”
(Vow in the Desert).
·
As Harbin was a cosmopolitan city, he grew up
with Chinese and Russian friends
·
As a kid, he thought YY was such a beautiful,
charming Chinese movie star (he had no clue at the time she was Japanese). And so, he was mesmerized by her perfect
Japanese language skills and use of such polite, formal Japanese expressions. [Ed. '
·
Was chosen to appear in Tokyo Holiday, as
he was an upcoming star within Toho (same studio as YY). (Tokyo Holiday only featured actors under
contract at Toho due to strict rules that were in place at that time to limit
actors’ freedom from appearing in other studios’ movies).
·
Recalls going up to YY at the start of Tokyo
Holiday and introducing himself in Mandarin, stating that he was raised like
her in Manchuria and learned to speak Mandarin from the locals. YY was surprised at his native fluency in
Mandarin and praised him for his language skills.
·
During the production, he often did small talk
with YY in Mandarin, etc. which drew the ire of his fellow actors as he was a
“junior” actor and she was the big star of the movie.
· In Tokyo Holiday, there is a scene where
Takarada and Tsukasa are eating at a Chinese restaurant. Behind them, written in yellow Chinese
characters on the window, is the restaurant name “Li Xiang Lan”, i.e. a movie 'easter egg' for those who knew YY’s prewar past.
Takarada
and Tsukasa, both age 23, sitting at the “Li Xiang Lan” restaurant
·
Was surprised to find out that other Tokyo
Holiday actors like Hisaya Morishige (former Shenyang-based NHK radio
announcer) and Toshiro Mifune were also conversant in Mandarin. Thus, the four of them (including YY) had many
lively conversations in Mandarin that separated them from the other cast who
grew fearful and even avoided them when they were all together. To this day, Tsukasa reminds him how scared
she was when the four of them were together.
·
Recalls bumping into YY at a night club around
1961 or 1962. He was partially
intoxicated but remembers going up to YY and asking her to sing with the club
band. To his surprise, she agreed and
sang Soshu Serenade and Ye Lai Xiang to the delight of the night club customers.
·
His impressions of YY are that she was a
cosmopolitan and a truly great star who only comes around once every 100
years. To this day, he still remembers
how polite and friendly (warm) a person she was.
·
If he could meet her again, he would greet her
in Mandarin and give a big hug.
Seiko Yamazaki (Youngest sister)
·
The TV announcer said that YY was the oldest of 7
children with Seiko being the youngest, 11 years younger than YY.
·
Has many memories of YY being like a mother
figure toward her. One day, she came
home late (midnight) and remembers being scolded by YY as the next day was a
school day. YY paid for her school
tuition so she understood why YY was so serious about her studies.
·
Grew up calling YY using the honorific word “jeje”
which is Mandarin for older sister. However,
for the other siblings, she referred to them only by their Japanese name. Thus, YY was the only one who had the
honorific name in Mandarin.
·
Recalls YY would always come home with bags of
gifts as there were so many siblings anxiously awaiting her return.
·
YY’s Tokyo home (as of 2016) has still not been
vacated. YY’s personal things are slowly
being sorted and organized.
·
Her favorite YY songs were the Chinese
songs. She believes these Chinese songs
were also YY’s favorites. Example played
by the announcer was the Opium song.
Yoko Tsukasa (Actress)
·
Was a Toho Studio up-and-coming star and thus
was invited to appear in Tokyo Holiday.
·
Her first encounter with YY was in the makeup
room. Recalls being extremely nervous as
she sat opposite to YY in the makeup room.
As a junior actress, she did not know what to say or how to greet
YY.
·
Her impression was that YY simultaneously possessed
qualities of both a native Japanese and an exotic foreigner. To her, YY was an extraordinary person due
to her many life experiences and natural abilities – both singing and acting –
that enabled her to stand out among a crowded field of famous actresses at the
time.
·
As Tsukasa was single at the time, YY attempted
to match her up with somebody she thought very highly of. Tsukasa was very happy that YY was interested
in her well-being outside of work. She
was also intrigued as she wanted to know what type of male YY would speak so
highly of. However, in the end, Tsukasa
turned down YY’s offer to meet the person as she wanted to pursue her acting
career and knew that there would be enormous pressure to get married especially
if YY was the matchmaker. In hindsight,
Tsukasa believes this person was an up-and-coming diplomat, like YY’s husband.
·
Her message to YY: I always will remember that great aura you
possessed and how you were always so gentle and warm in greeting the rest of
the cast. I do believe that if I had
taken your offer to meet your male friend, my life would had been totally
different. Thank you so much for the
opportunity to have known you. I hope we
can meet again as I have so much to ask and talk to you about.
Ichiro Samukawa (Secretary to YY during her tenure in Diet)
·
Was working for another politician when asked to
help with YY’s political campaign.
Because of her well-known name, YY was invited to run for the Diet. When she won, he was then asked to be her 1st
Secretary.
·
Remains impressed by the great compassion YY
always showed to the weak and disadvantaged.
This extended even to animals (YY was known as a great champion of
animal causes). YY adopted a stray cat
that she named “Lili” (after her Chinese last name Li)
· In her private life, he recalls YY as enjoying a drink once in a while – especially beer and whisky. On occasion, YY would invite him to share some spirits after a long day of work.
·
When they visited China in 1978 for an
environmental summit, they stayed at a hotel in Shanghai across from a
racetrack [Ed. I believe this is the Park Hotel]. Unbeknownst to him, this was
the racetrack where YY was to be executed after the war. Thirty years later YY was still haunted by
this memory and did not want to venture out near the racetrack.
· If he could meet YY again, he would tell her about the current issues in the Middle East and ask for her help to resolve them.
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