The China Lover: the Life of Shirley Yamaguchi/Ri Koran October 16, 2008

Asian expert and Japanese film scholar Ian Buruma discusses his new novel, 'The China Lover,' based on the life and career of actress Yoshiko (Shirley) Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi reflected the host of tensions that embody the development of modern Japan. Japanese by nationality, she was born in 1920 in Manchuria and for a time was known as Ri Koran. Her first films took place during the time of Japan's strong presence in China, and her personality was split between Chinese solidarity and a love affair with Japanese nation builders. Forced to return to Tokyo during WW II, Yamaguchi subsquently worked in pro-America and pro-democracy films.