Taiwan Girl, Japan Superstar: Judy Ongg

Over the past few days, the media in Taiwan has been reporting extensively on an exhibit of wood-block prints being held in Taiwan by Judy Ongg, a Taiwanese superstar resident in Japan. It reminds us that this international star, who was born in Taiwan but grew up in Japan, still has strong feelings for her native land. It also arouses one's curiosity: How did that young girl-considered one of Taiwan's "Three Treasures in Japan" along with chess master Lin Hai-feng and baseball player Wang Chen-chih-find a place in Japan, a place that many might see as rather reserved toward foreigners? And how has she been able to find success in so many realms-film, television, music, fashion, cuisine, and now wood-block prints? What kind of person is this Judy Ongg?

Sadly for professional performers, careers are usually short. One cannot, as in other professions, "trade time for space," reaching excellence through steady steps.

But there are some exceptions, like Hollywood's Elizabeth Taylor, Hong Kong's Hsiao Fang-fang, and Taiwan's Chang Hsiao-yen. They were stars even as children, and as they grew older, they took different roles on the big screen, or went over to television, remaining as popular as ever. Judy Ongg is one of this breed. She first went on the stage at seven years of age, and today is still in the limelight.

A star is born

Thinking back to when she first entered the entertainment world, says Ongg, it was actually very natural. She was a bubbly, active child. She loved to sing and play, and had a natural love of performing. She grew up in a good family environment, and with only herself and an older brother, her parents could devote all their energies to just the two of them. Ongg began studying piano and ballet at age four, and at age nine she joined a well-known children's drama troupe. Even then she didn't have the least stage fright.

The next year, when there was a joint US-Japanese production of a film based on a novel by Pearl Buck, Ongg was selected from among thousands of Japanese children to be the child star. Besides her innate talent, it may have helped that she is Chinese. The novel, like Buck's The Good Earth, was set in China, and Ongg's part was to play a Chinese child, so her Chinese background probably made playing the role much smoother. This laid the foundation for her future performing career.

Director Liao Hsiang-hsiung, the first Taiwanese director to earn an MA in film from the US, and also Ongg's first director in Taiwan, describes Judy's talents by calling her a "natural born star."

Many years ago, strongly supported by former Central Movie Studio head Kung Hung, Liao turned the story "Xiao Cui" ("Jade," from the classic Chinese collection of mystery stories, Strange Tales from the Leisure Studio) into a film. At that time, "wholesome realist" films were popular in Taiwan, depicting ordinary, healthy, outdoorsy, adult women. But Kung wanted to try a different tack. He felt that Liao's light-hearted style would prove popular with audiences, and so went all out to pave the way to film Xiao Cui. But, fearing that the authorities would disapprove of this story, which is about a "fox ghost" (a fox spirit who takes the form of a beautiful woman), as "superstition," the script was altered to make it a more politically correct story of a "woman repaying a benefactor."

After the project was given to Liao, he steered the story back toward the original spirit (so to speak) of the Tales. He also enhanced the comic element, and used then-popular huangmei style music. Kung strongly approved of Liao's changes. The only problem was that they needed someone to play the lead character, a lively 15- or 16-year-old, and there were few actresses around then acting in the dominant "wholesome realist" films who could fill the bill. Liao thought Ongg, who was then popular in Japan as both an actress and a singer, was just the right type for the part. He sent her the script, and she immediately accepted, beginning her days as an artist in Taiwan.

"Every director has a unique style. I prefer the American style, allowing the actors to stretch. Judy is extremely smart, and it's enough just to give her a little guidance and 'massage' her talent a little." Today, 30 years later, Liao still is unstinting in his praise for Ongg, who was then only 17 years of age. He recalls how she handled rapid changes in mood, for example from being zany in one scene to sorrowful the next. After taking in the director's instructions, Ongg would just go off to the side, get mentally prepared, and then, within a few minutes, be able to pull off each scene effortlessly, without any need for retakes.

In fact, virtually everyone who has worked with her praises Ongg's professionalism and dedication.

"Sometimes, when even the director thought everything was OK, she would still be unsatisfied, and ask 'Can you give me another opportunity?'" recalls Liao with a smile.

Inner burden

Ongg began her performing career in Japan. It is generally believed that Japanese performers have great respect for tradition and authority, and, in that environment, Ongg was no different. But, as her brother Mark, who is very close to her, says, this is also related to her own character and the atmosphere in which she grew up.

Mark recalls that his younger sister was intelligent and active as a child. After entering the acting profession, not only did she face intense competition, it was also difficult to keep up with her schoolwork, so she made very strict demands on herself. She says that if you want to excel in Japan, it's not enough to work as hard as everyone else. It's not even enough to be twice as good, you can only succeed by working three times as hard as everyone else. Many people think that such competitiveness only comes from parental prodding. But Mark says that their parents only made one fundamental demand-that they had to learn to speak Chinese and not forget that they are Chinese.

Judy says, on the other hand, that because she became successful so early, her parents asked her to observe three principles: to study; to not forget that she is the daughter of the Ongg family, no matter how successful she became; and to finish whatever she started. She has taken all three to heart, which is perhaps one reason why she has been able to succeed at her endeavors in so many different fields.

Her wood-block printing teacher, Inoue Katsue, has had great opportunity to observe this point. Many people have heard the story of how Ongg got started studying the making of wood-block prints. It was some 20 years ago, when she was already a star. She went to see one of Ms. Inoue's exhibitions, and was captivated by two prints of poppies. She went right away to ask Inoue to be her teacher. Inoue felt that this would only be a passing interest for her, wondering where a big star like Judy Ongg would get the time to work on her prints. So she tactfully turned Judy down.

Though disappointed, Ongg's never-say-die personality would not let her give up so easily. She found a wood block, and, using her brother's carving knife, set to work, ending up with her first creation. She again sought out Inoue. She laughed when she saw Ongg's first effort, but also realized that a woman of such character was not ordinary. So she accepted Judy as a student. Today, 20 years later, Ongg has been included in many major exhibitions. Before bringing her personal show to Taipei and Kaohsiung, it first toured Osaka, Nagoya, and Tokyo. Obviously she has not let her teacher down.

"Talent is 30% God-given, 70% the result of hard work," says Liao Hsiang-hsiung. This goes for both art and performing.

"In film, there are constantly adjustments being made, like dialogue always being changed. When Judy first came to Taiwan, her Mandarin wasn't very good, and it was necessary to dub in a different voice for her. But still, the day before each shoot she would diligently memorize each line, never giving a half-hearted effort." Liao, who ultimately became Ongg's friend, sometimes advises her not to put so much pressure on herself. But it is her nature to be perfectionist. You can see this from the meticulously neat and tidy lines in her wood-block prints that are on architectural themes.

Lost childhood

Mark, himself a successful architect, says that when he was young he felt jealous of his younger sister because everyone focused their attention on her. Later, this made him more self-motivated. "I was proud of my sister's accomplishments, and resolved to study hard and do my own thing as well as I could." He also noted that, though his sister grew up surrounded by applause, the demands of acting, singing, and schoolwork, left her little time. "I don't think she slept more than six hours in a night from her teens through her early 20s"-and don't even mention play time. Mark cannot hide his sympathy: "She was so young, but she had to handle more responsibilities than adults."

Huang Tien-tsai, former director of the Central News Agency, lived for many years in Japan. A portfolio of his stories would be a virtual history of Taiwan-Japanese relations, and his book People and Events in Sino-Japanese Diplomacy won an award last year. He has a deep understanding of Japanese society. As an old friend for decades of Ongg's father Ongg Ping-tang, and having a daughter about the same age as Judy, he has naturally always held a special place in his heart for Ongg.

He says, "If she were not Chinese, she might have been even more successful in Japan than she has been." Japan is small and densely populated, and it is only natural that its society tends to be insular and exclusive toward outsiders.

Ongg recalls that when she was 12, NHK recruited her to play a major role in a dramatic series. But the producers wanted her to adopt a Japanese name. Unwilling to do so, she lost the opportunity. In fact, she says, "I am more aware of what it means to be 'Japanese' than a lot of Japanese people. Being a foreigner, I have had to be even more consciously attentive to Japanese culture." She notes that "a senior person in my profession encouraged me to do a Japanese historical dramatic serial," but, she concludes, "my life has been very Chinese. When I grew up, there were no Japanese zithers or tatamis in my house." Her name, having only three characters, clearly marks her as Chinese (most Japanese names have at least four characters). So, considered an outsider in Japan, naturally there are some limitations.

Of course, her cosmopolitan background is also her strength in the Japanese entertainment world. "English is a big plus for her. Especially early on in Japan, she was probably the only female star who could host a big event in English," says her brother Mark Ongg. Because her father was well-connected with the US military, she and her brother studied in American schools from the time they were small, even attending American colleges. Because of her cultivation and fluent English, she was always invited to host programs attended by international stars. Huang Pei-shan, who has resided in Tokyo for over two decades, says that she and her friends always regard Judy as being a truly international star.

Overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia are known for working hard. But Japan is also an East Asian culture, and its people "are just as hard-working as Chinese." So there is not much room to succeed in Japan by hard work alone. Huang Tien-tsai says, "But there is one good thing about Japanese society. If you are really good at something, better than Japanese themselves, they will completely accept you and put you on a pedestal." Two widely known examples are Wang Chen-chih and Lin Hai-feng. Along with Judy Ongg, these are about the only three Chinese who have been recognized while competing in fields dominated by Japanese. They have done so only by being superior to their Japanese rivals.

Of such overseas successes, Ongg has probably shown the strongest attachment to Taiwan. She went to Japan at age two, and first came back to Taiwan when she was 15. Xiao Cui made her popular with Taiwan audiences, she then made a Chinese version of The Prince and the Pauper (except it became a princess and a pauper), winning Best Actress at that year's Golden Horse Awards. She also made a number of TV serials, as well as recording songs that are still familiar to many people. Later, she made a number of films with the fast-working director Liu Chia-chang.

However, eventually she shifted her focus back to Japan. For one thing, when films depicting love stories * la Chiung Yao became popular, these did not fit with Ongg's own style. Moreover, in 1979 her single "Love Is" sold over two million copies in Japan, and she was given a "Golden Voice Award" by Japan's recording industry, so her record company hoped she would concentrate on developing her career in Japan.

Despite this, whenever there was an important event in Taiwan's entertainment industry, she would always accept invitations to come. She hosted her own show on China Television, and then Public Television featured her in a special program when it began operation in 1979. More recently, she was a special guest when Formosa TV began broadcasting early this year. Between chatting and singing, she recounted her split life, divided between two places she loves: Taiwan, the land where she was born, and Japan, the land where she grew up.

At the end of last year, the Japan Interchange Association (JIA, Japan's unofficial representative office in Taiwan) asked Ongg to come back to Taiwan and represent the Japanese singing industry at the annual Sino-Japanese cultural exchange gala. Ongg did not quibble over the less-than-handsome pay, but brought along a band, stage hands, and her manager-26 people in all-and did a two-and-a-half hour live performance at the National Conference Center.

Chiu Yuan-ping of the JIA, who was in charge of the event, says, "She is truly a first-class artist." The more than NT$1 million in ticket sales was donated to disadvantaged groups and schools in remote areas. Ongg also went on a JIA-sponsored trip to the Yangming institution for retarded children to express her concern. And she has long desired to stage a print exhibition in Taiwan, so she is funding it entirely herself.

Many people ask Ongg about her love life, though her single unhappy marriage seems to be a taboo topic for the media, with no one willing to bring it up. Liao Hsiang-hsiung recalls that several years ago Judy half-jokingly complained that she was so busy she couldn't fall in love and get married like normal people. Liao, who has been like a father figure to her, responded: "Everyone has a different mission in life. Yours is to bring happiness to people."

Once, Ongg made popular a song that is familiar to everyone, "Prayer." It was originally a lullaby, known to all Japanese, to which her father wrote lyrics. "Father thinks that when a mother softly sings lullabies to the baby in her womb, that is a prayer for the well-being and happiness of the child." So on his 50th birthday, he gave his beloved daughter the words to his prayer. Not only did Ongg perform her father's prayer as a song, her life and all she has done to this point have been a realization of his fondest wishes.

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Judy Ongg, who has long lived in Japan, still looks very Chinese. She is back in Taiwan for an exhibit of her wood-block prints, which has been well-reviewed. (photo by Pu Hua-chih)

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Ongg's main themes are flowers and architecture, especially the historic buildings of Kyoto. The elegant teahouse depicted here is in that city.

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Judy and her brother Mark, who is older than her by a year and a half.

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Ongg's first film was a dramatization of a novel by Pearl Buck (second from right). Judy was then only 10.

Ongg has appeared in a number of Japanese dramatic serials.

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Ongg is able to handle both modern and period roles. She made a comedy series with Yang Li-hua (right) and Wang Pao-yu.

One of her films, a 1971 effort with Feng Hai, was set against the Osaka World's Fair.

Ongg was a sensation in her first Taiwan film, based on an ancient Chinese tale of mystery.

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After more than a decade outside of Taiwan, she came back to Taiwan when she was about 15. She was already a star by then.

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To protect her lovely hands, Ongg wears gloves when doing wood-block prints; this is a very unusual practice in this field..

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(above) Summer in Okinawa. This beautiful wood-block print was included in a Japanese exhibition in 1994.

(below) Embroidered Chrysanthemum. This flower is shown frequently at horticulture shows in Japan. Its soft exterior but inner strength mirrors Judy Ongg's nature.

Judy and her brother Mark, who is older than her by a year and a half.

Ongg's first film was a dramatization of a novel by Pearl Buck （second from right）. Judy was then only 10.

Ongg has appeared in a number of Japanese dramatic serials.

Ongg is able to handle both modern and period roles. She made a comedy series with Yang Li-hua （right） and Wang Pao-yu.

One of her films, a 1971 effort with Feng Hai, was set against the Osaka World's Fair.

Ongg was a sensation in her first Taiwan film, based on an ancient Chinese tale of mystery.

After more than a decade outside of Taiwan, she came back to Taiwan when she was about 15. She was already a star by then.

To protect her lovely hands, Ongg wears gloves when doing wood-block prints; this is a very unusual practice in this field..

（above） Summer in OKinawa. This beautiful wood block print was includedin a Japanese exhibition in 1994.

（below） Embroi dered Chrysan themum. This flower is shown frequently at horticulture shows in Japan. Its softexterior but inner strength mirrors Judy Ongg's nature.