Yoshiko Yamaguchi
Biography
Yoshiko Yamaguchi (山口 淑子, Yamaguchi Yoshiko, February 12, 1920 – September 7, 2014), also known by her stage names Shirley Yamaguchi and Li Xianglan, is a China-born Japanese actress and singer who made a career in China, Japan, Hong Kong, and the United States. She was elected as a member of the Japanese Parliament in the 1970s and served for 18 years.
Early in her career, the Manchukuo Film Association concealed her Japanese origin and she went by the Chinese name Li Hsiang-lan (李香蘭), rendered in Japanese as Ri Kōran. This allowed her to represent China in Japanese propaganda movies. After the war, she appeared in Japanese movies under her real name, as well as in several English language movies under the stage name, Shirley Yamaguchi. After becoming a journalist in the 1950s under the name Yoshiko Ōtaka (大鷹 淑子, Ōtaka Yoshiko), she was elected as a member of the Japanese parliament in 1974, and served for 18 years. After retiring from politics, she served as vice president of the Asian Women's Fund. She died at the age of 94 in Tokyo on September 7, 2014.
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Full filmography
- The Ed Sullivan Show (1948) as Self
- さよなら李香蘭 (1989)
- The Legend of the White Serpent (1956) as The White Lady
- House of Bamboo (1955) as Mariko
- Scandal (1950) as Miyako Saijo
- Blood of Arms and Heart of Wisdom (1939)
- The Last Embrace (1953) as Yukiko Nogami
- Foghorn (1952) as Chiyo (Hana)
- Holiday in Tokyo (1958)
- Sword for Hire (1952) as Oryo
- Chin Ping Mei (1955)
- Retribution of the Vengeful Spirit (1939)
- Shanghai Rose (1952) as Li Lili
- Angkor Wat Story - Beautiful Sadness (1958) as Angela, her teacher
- The Lady of Mystery (1957)
- China Night (1940)
- Japanese War Bride (1952) as Tae Shimizu
- The Monkey King (1940) as Oriental Woman
- Escape at Dawn (1950) as Harumi
- Chorus of Prayer (1943)
- Jōnetsu no ningyo (1948)
- The Most Beautiful Day of My Life (1948)
- Ningen moyo (1949)
- Travels to the East (1940) as Liqin, the Typist