The History of Yamaguchi Yoshiko 山口淑子 also known as Li Xiang Lan 李香蘭 (Ri-Koran): Magazine Articles about Yamaguchi's Life

There have been many multi-page articles on the life of Yoshiko Yamaguchi in many magazines. The reason I am posting some of them is because fascinating details about Yamaguchi's life is revealed in these articles; details which did not appear in her memoirs.

The below articles are from the 1941 The Pictorial World, Vol 17, No 2.

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The below article is from a Dec 1949 magazine: it covers a visit to Yamaguchi's House northeast of Asagaya Station, where she speaks with Akira Iwasaki about art:

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The below article contains interesting quotes from Seiko (Yoshiko's 12yr younger sister) which she apparently made to the Asahi Shimbun in the years after the death of Yoshiko.

A great friend of the blog has (once again) provided translation notes to me.

The 8 page article mentions the name of Doihara (first name Kenji) on 3 separate occasions - this is in contrast with YY's memoir which only mentions him once in passing (and does so in connection with Li Jichun, her adoptive father). Doihara was said to have been involved in behind the scenes activities in Manchukuo ranging from promoting the drug-trade in order to generate profit, through the military suppression of Chinese attempts to resist the Japanese. After the war he was judged to be a Class A war criminal and was executed; Li Jichun was also executed.

below is page 1 of the article:

on page 2 below, the article begins with the year 1931 (see right side), and mentions that Puyi is the 'front face' of Manchukuo while Doihara is the 'back face'.

in the below page 3, it is mentioned that Amakazu (the President of Manei) committed suicide in Aug 1945 after the defeat of Japan, and that Doihara was executed as a war criminal. Note the beautiful picture of Yoshiko in the upper right which we had not seen before.

on page 4 below Seiko seems to be in an interview being asked a question posed as to what she knew about the activities of her father Fumio when she says "he was said to be teaching Chinese language to employees of Mantetsu but I don't have any further knowledge than this".

[Ed note: Chen Meijuin in her film "The Double-life of Li Xianglan" shows a Professor Aiko Yoshioka, PhD at 5:36min of the film. She says of Fumio "father was a mysterious and powerful man, he had high positions connected to intelligence officers and politicians and may even have worked w/ them".]

The last paragraph of p. 4 below reprises the 2008 interviews which Yamaguchi gave to the Asahi Shimbun, wherein she was shown about 127 photos of old scenes from China and Manchuria.

here is great friend's translation:

Page 4

Top left

1933 – The debut of Li Xianglan: In 1932, the country of Manchuria was formed, and a Mukden radio station was created to improve relations between Japan and Manchuria. Yoshiko Yamaguchi made her debut as Li Xianglan on this radio station.

Top right

1920 – She was born in Liaoning province as the oldest daughter to a family that was affiliated with Mantetsu railroad. Father was Fumio Yamaguchi, mother was Ai Yamaguchi. Yoshiko is being cuddled by her mother in the picture. She was born in the suburbs of the old Mukden city (modern day Shenyang). As a Mantetsu employee, Fumio was able to maneuver in China without being noticed (暗躍). Yoshiko studied Chinese language.

Picture of Yoshiko (age 12) with another girl

She studied at Bujun girl’s school: Family moved from Mukden to Bujun, where she attended Bujun girl’s school. Because of suspicion that her father was a spy, they returned to Mukden where she studied singing.

Bottom

1938 – Entering Manei Films: When she visited Manei to help with dubbing songs, she was invited to do a screentest with the director named Makino. She was quickly invited to appear in the film “Honeymoon Express”.

Article Text

“Going forwards, do I live as a Chinese? Or live as a Japanese?”

Yamaguchi heard that Japan unconditionally surrendered on Aug 15, 1945 while at the home of the Japanese Army broadcasting director.

In Shanghai, she was picked up by the forces of Chiang Kai Shek and interned in a row of houses in Honko (this is the Japanese reading, not sure what the Chinese reading is). In a local newspaper, she read the headline that said “the traitor Li Xiang Lan is to be executed by firing squad”. The term “Kankan” that was used in the newspaper headline for traitor was chosen to signify that she sold the soul of the Chinese people to a foreign nation.

But Li Xiang Lan was a Japanese.

Today, her 88 year-old younger sister Seiko said the following: “Our father Fumio Yamaguchi was from Saga Prefecture and mother Ai was from Fukuoka Prefecture. The two met in Manchuria, married, and had 7 children. Yoshiko, the oldest daughter, was born in 1920 and I was the youngest of the siblings, born 12 years after her. When my older sister Yoshiko was born, I was told that that my father taught Chinese for the Mukden Mantetsu railways, but I really do not know what he did. Later, the family moved to Beijing to live in a traditional house with garden. Because Yoshiko was busy with filming, she was not living with us. She occasionally came back home with lots of presents and to continue her voice lessons.”

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JohnM: on Page 5 below the Asahi reporter says YY's voice was calm until she came to a picture of Kenji Doihara, when her look became quite stern and with a lower voice she said "Doihara . . . Doihara". the newspaper reporter then stated that this was because her father had a deep relationship with Doihara. But the reporter does not state how he knew her father had this deep relationship with Doihara, which leaves the reader guessing.

There are other places in the picture captions, where the magazine writer states that her father was involved in spy activity and able to maneuver covertly around China as a Mantetsu employee. I have marked this in red. But again, neither Seiko nor Yoshiko ever state their father was involved in spy activity especially with Doihara. So to me this is still not a fact, but rather a supposition. And as we know from all that has been published, YY was always very careful of her words and how she was being portrayed...Please note that highlighted text was supplied by great friend of the blog.

here is great friend's translation:

Page 5

Top Picture

1946 – After the war and her trial for being a suspected traitor, she was repatriated to Japan: Although it was reported that she would die by execution for being a traitor, she was able to prove that she was a Japanese and be repatriated. Yoshiko is standing in front row, 4^th from left. Nagamasa Kawakita stands second from right. At the top right is a picture of her departure paperwork (issued by Shanghai authorities for repatriation).

1951 – Marriage to Isamu Noguchi

Below is a photo of her wedding reception that was attended by people from the film industry. First row, from far right: Akira Kurosawa, Mrs. Akira Kurosawa, Toshiro Mifune, Yoshiko Yamaguchi, Mrs. Toshiro Mifune, Setsuko Wakayama, etc.. With her internationally known husband Noguchi being very busy, their marriage ended after 4 years.

Article Text

During her later years, Yoshiko participated in a 6-hour interview with a major newspaper reporter where 127 pictures from the past were shown to her. The reporter said the following: “She maintained a very calm demeanor all throughout (the interview), but when shown the picture of Doihara, she started to repeat in a low voice ‘Doihara, Doihara…..’ with a stern look on her face. I believe she possessed a deep hatred toward Doihara who had a deep relationship with her father.”

[Note – The reporter does not state how he knew Doihara had a deep relationship with Yoshiko’s father. Interestingly, he used the same Japanese word for deep (“fukai”] to describe Yoshiko’s hatred toward Doihara and her father’s relationship with Doihara as if to make it sound like these 2 things were inter-connected. However, in her typical fashion, YY never uttered more than a few words when it came to things that she did not want to reveal and so the reporter is obviously drawing conclusions based on his own interpretation.]

Who saved her from being executed at the Shanghai horse racing track was her friend from her Mukden childhood days, a Russian named Ryuba. She was working for the Russian Consulate in Shanghai and was able to make an excuse to go to Beijing.

Seiko said the following: “Within the traditional Japanese doll that my sister preciously kept, I tucked in a copy of our Japanese family registry and then delivered the doll to Ryuba at a Beijing restaurant. Ryuba then delivered it to my sister.”

Yoshiko was able to prove that she was a Japanese and at the end-March 1946, she was able to board the Unsen Maru repatriation ship.

Yoshiko noted the following: “Aboard the ship, I heard the Shanghai radio broadcast playing the melody of my song Ye Rai Xiang. Having returned to being Yoshiko Yamaguchi, I said under my breath ‘farewell Li Xiang Lan’.”

After her return to Japan, she became the actress known as Yoshiko Yamaguchi and surprised the world by marrying the famous Japanese American sculptor Isamu Noguchi.

Left Side: A Chronology of Yoshiko Yamaguchi’s life

1920

In a coal-town located within today’s Liaoning province, Mukden (today’s Shenyang), Yoshiko was born between father Fumio Yamaguchi (from Saga prefecture) who worked for Mantetsu Railways and mother Ai.

1934

As the step-daughter of Tiangjin mayor Pan Yu Gui, she entered middle school in Beijing under the assumed name Pan Shu Hua.

1938

After graduating, she debuted as Li Xiang Lan for propaganda film company Manei Studios and became popular.

1939

Over the next year, she appeared with Kazuo Hasegawa in 3 films – Song of White Orchid, China Night, Vow in the Desert - and became a top star in Japan.

1941

On Feb 11, Japan National Founding Day, she held a performance at the Nichigeki Theatre. There were so many fans crowding around the theatre that it became known as the “7.5 loops around Nichigeki” incident.

1943

The movie ‘Bansei Ryuho’ that was shot in Shanghai became the biggest Chinese movie hit ever.

1946

After the military trial for being a suspected traitor, she was repatriated back to Japan.

1950

She appeared with Toshiro Mifune in the hit movie Scandalous that was directed by Akira Kurosawa.

1951

She married famous Japanese American sculptor Isamu Noguchi and made their home in Kamakura. Four years later, they would divorce.

1958

She married again to foreign diplomat Hiroshi Odaka who was 8 years her junior.

1969

She became an announcer for the Fuji Studio news and variety show “3:00pm and You”.

1974

Because of a request from Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka, she entered the upper house race for the Japanese Diet. She would serve 3 terms, 18 years in-total.

1979

She visited North Korea and held a press conference with leader Kim Il Sung.

1984

She became the president of the Japanese Pet Lover’s Association.

2014

She passed away at age 94

page 6 below:

here is great friend's translation:

Page 6 – Photos and Captions

Top left

Headline: She was close to Ryo Ikebe.

She celebrates her return from America with Ikebe (far left) and others. During this year, Isamu would come to Japan and their wedding ceremony was held at year-end.

Top Right

Headline: After the war, she became the actress Yoshiko Yamaguchi

In 1950, she visited New York’s Time Square wearing a kimono. She appeared in the Broadway musical Marco Polo as Shirley Yamaguchi.

Middle left

Headline: Under the name Shirley Yamaguchi, she appeared in American movies.

She appeared also in Hollywood films. To the left is a picture from House of Bamboo (1955). At her press conference after returning to Japan, she said that “she studied how to kiss”.

Middle right

Headline: With the King of Comedy – Chaplin

Picture was taken during her stay in America where she met Chaplin (3^rd from right) at a home party. In Tokyo, she escorted him to a tempura restaurant.

Far Right

Headline: From Actress and TV Announcer, she transformed herself to become a Japanese Diet member.

Middle bottom

Headline: A picture with Setsuko Hara

An internationally famous actress of the same age, Setsuko Hara was a lifelong friend who, after their retirement from show business, stayed in close contact with Yoshiko over the phone.

Bottom right

Headline: Second marriage to Foreign Diplomat Hiroshi Odaka. Retires from acting.

From a young age, she dreamed of working as a secretary for a Foreign Diplomat. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which was against their marriage, then sent Odaka on an overseas assignment.

Five years after the war had ended (1950), Yamaguchi, who was once an enemy to America and Great Britain because of her previous appearances in propaganda movies for the Japanese Army, was invited to travel to America. This trip was planned to promote the American premier of her film Scandalous that was directed by Akira Kurosawa and co-stared Toshiro Mifune.

While in America, Yamaguchi experienced two good fortunes. The first was that she passed the audition for the Broadway musical Marco Polo. She was to debut as Shirley Yamaguchi.

The second was meeting sculptor Isamu Noguchi, who was 15 years her senior. Her sister Seiko said: “Both of them experienced the upheavals of war, my older sister Yoshiko in China and Isamu in America and this common experience brought them together. Later, I met Isamu many times and thought he was an artist with a pure heart.”

In Dec 1951, with Ryuzaburo Umehara as the go-between, they wed in Japan. Before the war, Umehara had drawn a portrait of Li Xiang Lan in Beijing. He said: “A cat can show 200 expressions, but you have even more. Your right eye reveals your free spirit, while your left eye shows you are quiet and shy.

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JohnM: on Page 7 below, Yamaguchi says that during her interview with King Faisal of Saudi Arabia, she was instrumental in brokering a deal to obtain oil for Japan.

She also says when she drank a toast with Kim il Sung, he requested she sing one of his favorite songs from the time when he was a guerilla in the mountains fighting the Japanese Army. And she did!

at the end of the page, Seiko (her sister) says that Yoshiko was bedridden towards the final curtain and they both re-listened to her great songs from the China phase of her life.

here is great friend's translation:

Page 7 – Photos and Captions

Top left:

Headline: 1974 – Running for Japanese Parliament

Toshio Yamaguchi recommended that she run for office and sent his own secretary Ichiro Samukawa to help her. For former Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka, who was a Li Xiang Lan fan, she was a secret weapon in the area of foreign diplomacy.

Top right:

Headline: 1969 - Her appointment as host for the TV show “3:00 and You”.

She displayed her abilities as the host for the variety-news show. In 1973, her interview with Fusako Shigenobu became a big story and brought prominence to variety-news shows.

Picture with Fusako Shigenobu.

Middle left:

Headline: 1979 – She is welcomed by Kim Il-Sung

In North Korea, the land of mystery, Kim Il-Sung was a fan of Li Xiang Lan which he clearly expressed at the press conference. He asked her to sing at the dinner banquet.

Second from bottom left:

Headline: 1981 – Appearing at the Nichigeki Theatre with Kazuo Hasegawa

Appearing at the finale for the Nichigeki Theatre, where many memories were made, she performed a duet with her former co-star Kazuo Hasegawa from the 3 movies they made in Manchuria. They were showered with applause.

Bottom left:

Headline: 2014 – Her passing at age 94

With no children and her husband having passed away 13 years earlier, Yamaguchi’s memorial was held at the Hotel Okura with many mourners in attendance.

Page 7 – Article

The two made their home in an atelier owned by Isamu’s friend ceramist Rosanjin Kitaoji in Kamakura City, but things fell apart 4 years later.

Seiko: “The cause of their breakup was that they grew apart because of how busy they both were with their careers and my older sister’s American visa not being approved. After the divorce, when Isamu came to Japan, he called saying ‘I want to see Yoshiko.’ But my older sister had no intention to see him.”

In 1958, Yamaguchi again surprised Japanese society. She retired from show business and married a foreign diplomat, Hiroshi Odaka, who was 8 years her junior. A a 3^rd class secretary, Odaka was sent to work in Myanmar.

Starting in 1969, on top of her role as the wife of a foreign diplomat, she became the host of Fuji Television’s news-variety show “3:00pm and You”. Three years later when the normalization of relations with China became known, this news was broadcasted on the show with much emotion.

In 1974, she ran for election after receiving an invitation from the Liberal Democratic Party. She would go on to serve 3 terms for a total of 18 years.

Ichiro Samukawa, her secretary during her days in Parliament, said:

“She was mainly involved as a member of the foreign affairs committee. She would say ‘if I don’t do this work, who will?’. During the oil shock when Saudi Arabia became a hot topic, she met directly with King Faisal and secured a supply of oil.

In 1979, she visited North Korea where she met with Kim Il Sung for a solo interview. I accompanied her on this trip. It seems that during the war that Kim was a fan of Li Xiang Lan and so he incessantly asked her to sing a song. She sang a Japanese song that was very touching.”

In 2001, her husband Hiroshi passed away. In 2014, Yoshiko’s life came to an end at age 94.

Seiko: “During her last days, when she was bedridden, she listened to her songs from her days in China.”

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JohnM: on this last page, the main caption says 'Japanese people don't realize how much a teenage girl suffered in secret while trying so hard to be Chinese'. [If any reader has a better translation, please transmit it to me.] Seiko quotes Yamaguchi at bottom of page as saying "War is the greatest abomination"

here is great friend's translation:

Page 8 Quote:

(This may not be best translation as I think there is something left unsaid about her trying so hard to be Chinese while also deceiving her Chinese friends about who she really was…it will be interesting to see how other people would translate it and extrapolate what she really meant)

The Japanese people will never understand my suffering as a teenager who tried so hard to become a Chinese.

Quote at bottom:

According to younger sister Seiko, Yoshiko in her later years always said that “War is something that we absolutely should not do”

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Here is another article, which I believe was published in the 1960s:

the article begins by saying "Yamaguchi Yoshiko, born and raised in Manchuria and Beijing, was a pure Continental child. She was 17 years old when she began starring as a movie actress for Man'ei under the name of Li Xianglan, and rose to stardom with the [Continental films] "China Nights" and "Song of the White Orchid".

"The fate of Li Xianglan, who was once called "a traitor to China and another time "an Angel of Goodwill between Japan and China, mirrors the history of Japan's continental development tragedy.

She speaks about her father Fumio "having big dreams, boundless energy, who found purpose in working for the Chinese people, a man of deep goodness at heart. She also mentions he was part of that "Continental tribe of [ronin] who also loved alcohol.

on page 2 below, Yoshiko describes Fushun as being a huge open-pit coal-mine under the control of Mantetsu. She says how being second-generation born made her similar to people from America or Brazil for example. She recalls mother telling her "how weird she looked as a baby, almost deformed, all big eyes in a big face. Yoshiko has such a gift for speaking Mandarin that her father calls on her (a little child sitting in the back) to be an example of good pronunciation to all the "sweating adults" in the class.

on page 3 below, Yoshiko describes how "ordinary and peaceful" her childhood was, despite such things as the Manchuria Incident, which didn't feel that momentous to a child like her. But when the coal-mine was attacked and burned the following year [1932], the experience of watching a man killed with the butt of a rifle had a major affect on her personality. Things were not the same for her from then on.

the below page contains information elucidating the killing of a Chinese head-laborer which Yoshiko witnessed when 12yrs old. She states this incident was "directly connected with my father and hence my family also".