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Actress and singer Li Xianglan. Photo Source

Top 10 Intriguing Facts about Yamaguchi Yoshiko

Yoshiko Yamaguchi was a Japanese actress born in the year 1920 in Manchuria, China. The talented actress was also a singer, journalist, and politician in her later years. Her success in acting earned her recognition in China, Canada, Hongkong, and the United States.

Yoshiko came from a humble background and went by multiple Japanese and Chinese names. Before pursuing acting, she worked for a railway company in South Manchuria. She debuted as an actress and singer in the 1930s.

Yamaguchi’s role in Eternity (1943) projected her into a successful acting career. She became a top singer in Asian Chinese-speaking regions with hit songs such as Candy Peddling Song and Quitting (Opium) Song.

For the longest time, Yamaguchi was considered a Japanese spy. The people of China didn’t take a liking to her and denounced all of her repertoire from the 1930s and the 1940s. Despite these, Yoshiko still had an influence on Chinese artists such as Teresa Teng and Winnie Wei.

Yoshiko was an advocate for feminine independence and served as the president of Asian Women Fund after her political retirement. She also was among the first prominent Japanese people to acknowledge Japanese brutality during wartime occupation.

Yamaguchi was awarded the Second Class Gold and Silver Star of the Order of the Sacred Treasure. She died in 2014 at the age of 94 in Tokyo, Japan

1. She Was Named By Her Nonbiological Brothers

From an early age, Yoshiko was exposed to Chinese culture. Despite being Japanese, she grew accustomed to the culture and became fluent in Mandarin.

Yoshiko gained influential Chinese acquaintances and sworn brothers who later became her godfathers. She was given two Chinese names, Li Hsiang-lan and Pans Shuhua which she adopted throughout her acting career.

2. Yoshiko Discovered Her Vocal Talent Through Voice Therapy

Woman Singing In A concert. Photo By StockSnap –

When Yamaguchi was a young adult, she was diagnosed with tuberculosis. Her doctor recommended voice therapy in order to strengthen her voice. Yoshiko’s father was adamant about using traditional Japanese Music but her love for Western music landed her in Madama Podresov’s soprano class.

Through continuous therapy, Yamaguchi discovered that she could actually sing. She made her debut as a soprano singer in 1938 and later on became a member of the Seven Great Singing Stars. Some of her hits include Ocean Bird If Only, Second Dream, and Evening Promise.

 3. Yoshiko’s Wrote A Biography Dedicated To Her First Romantic Relationship

Symbol of Love. Photo By Photo Mix –

Yamaguchi had traveled to Tokyo to promote the interest of Manchurian Film Production when she met Kenichiro Matsuoka. Kenichiro was the son of Yosuke Matsuoka, a Japanese Diplomat and previous Minister.

Yamaguchi fell in love with Kenichiro in the hopes of getting married. The biography Ri Koran: My Half-Life was a dedication to him. Their romance was short-lived as Kenichiro was still in school and he expressed that he was not ready for a commitment as big as marriage.

4. Yoshiko Became A Citizen Of The United States

Yoshiko first traveled to the United States in the 1950s. She changed her name to Shirley Yamaguchi and was part of Hollywood movies such as Japanese War Bride (1952), Navy Wife (1956), and House of Bamboo (1955). Two years later, Yoshiko got married to Noguchi Isamu, an American landscape architect, and sculptor.

The two shared the similarity of struggling to identify themselves with one culture as Noguchi was both American and Japanese. The marriage became unstable and five years later, they eventually filed for a divorce.

5. Yoshiko Was Banned From Crossing The American Border

During her stay in the US, Yoshiko co-produced the musical soundtrack in Limelight (1952) with Charlie Chaplin. Limelight was a comedy-drama film written, directed, and produced by Chaplin.

 Chaplin was a famous comic actor during the 20th-century era of silent films. Yoshiko’s association with Chaplin eventually raised eyebrows and this led to her being denied access to the US after her divorced.

6. Her Last Films After Retirement Were Lost In A Fire

Picture of Fire. Flames. Photo By Alexa

After her divorce from Noguchi, Yoshiko continued to pursue acting in China. She took up roles in several Chinese films that were shot in Hongkong.

Her long-acting career came to an end after she decided to retire in 1958. Allegedly her last films were destroyed by a studio fire.

7. Being Bilingual Landed Her The Position Of An Ambassador

Having been born in a Chinese town, Yamaguchi quickly learned how to read and write in Chinese. She traveled to Beijing to polish her Mandarin. Despite having spent her childhood in a Chinese environment, Yoshiko did not abandon her Japanese roots.

Her first movie, Honeymoon Express (1938), was produced by a Japanese film studio. The company had been in search of an actress who would resonate with both Chinese and Japanese audiences. Having had a solid background in both, Yamaguchi became the company’s lead actress and Japan-Manchuria Goodwill Ambassadress.

8. One of Her Songs Was Banned In China

Actress Li Xianglan is seen at a dressing room in August 1940 in Tokyo, Japan. Photo By Asahi Shimbun –

The 1940 Shanghai Night Film was the most controversial movie produced by Manchuria Film Production.  Yamaguchi took both an acting and singing role in the movie where she played a young Chinese woman.

The movie sparked controversy when her on-screen romantic Japanese partner physically assaulted her and instead of standing up for herself, she expressed gratitude toward him. China particularly took offense to this with claims that it was a form of inferiority. Her song Suzhou Serenade was officially banned in China due to its association with the film.

9. Yamaguchi Was Once Sentenced To Death For Treason

During her stay in Shanghai, Yoshiko was arrested by a Chinese Nationalist Party called Kuomintang. She had been accused of treason by illegally collaborating with Japan. The firing squad sentenced her to death and was scheduled to be executed in December 1945.

Yamaguchi escaped death by a whisker after a copy of her birth certificate proved that she was not of Chinese nationality. Her charges were cleared, and she was released. She resettled in Japan and took up a new name Yoshiko Yamaguchi

10. She Was A Political Figure For 18 Years

In 1974, Yoshiko was elected a member of the House of Councilors in the Japanese Parliament. After years of working as a journalist, she decided to pursue politics and became vigorous in pro-Palestinian causes.

Previously, many of her films were termed as ‘National Policy Films’ as they promoted Japanese policies. Yamaguchi stayed active in the political realm for 18 years.