Li Xianglan

Japanese singer, actress and politician. Born February 12, 1920 in Manchuria. Originally active in the pre-war period in China and Manchuria under the name Li Hsiang Lan (李香蘭, pronounced Lǐ Xiānglán in Mandarin and Ri Kōran in Japanese), she was thought by many to be Chinese. Upon discovery of her Japanese identity after the war, she was deported to Japan where she resumed her career under the names Yoshiko Yamaguchi (山口淑子). She also appeared in several Hollywood films under the name Shirley Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi served as a member of the japanese upper house of parliament—the National Diet—between 1974 and 1992.