Born
Yuji Don Okumoto
Alma mater
California State University, Fullerton
Occupation
Actor
Years active
1985–present
Spouse
Angela Okumoto
Children
3
Yuji Don Okumoto (雄二・ドン・奥本, Yūji Don Okumoto, born April 20, 1959) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Chozen ToguchiinThe Karate Kid franchise. He has also appeared in such films as Better Off Dead, Real Genius (both 1985), True Believer (1989), American Yakuza (1993), Contact (1997), The Truman Show (1998), Pearl Harbor (2001), Only the Brave (2006), Inception (2010) and Driven (2018).
Okumoto, a third generation Japanese American (Sansei), was born and raised in Los Angeles, California.[1] He began karate at age 13, studying under various sensei. By the time of The Karate Kid Part II, the 27-year-old Okumoto held a brown belt in Karate, and had learned basic skills in other martial arts, including Kung Fu and Judo. His Judo Instructor was Hayward Nishioka, his Chitō-ryū Karate Sensei was Yukinori Kugimiya, his Kajukenbo Instructor was Sensei Ron Takaragawa, and his Yau Kung Moon Sifu was Kevin Quock.[2][3]
He graduated from Hollywood High School and Cal State Fullerton, where he studied acting.[1]
His performance in the play Indians led to being signed by an agent, and eventually a role on The Young and the Restless. His first roles were in The Check is in the Mail, Real Genius, and Better Off Dead.[4] Perhaps his most well-known role is as Daniel's rival, Chozen Toguchi in the 1986 film, The Karate Kid Part II.[4] Other credits include his role as Shu Kai Kim, a character based on Chol Soo Lee, in the 1989 film True Believer, Pete Kapahala in the 1999 Disney Channel original movie Johnny Tsunami, Japanese navy lieutenant (海軍大尉, Kaigun-Daii) Zenji Abe in Pearl Harbor, and Bruce Takedo in the television series, Bones.[4]
In 2005, he was Yukio Nakajo in Lane Nishikawa's film Only the Brave about the Japanese American segregated fighting unit, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team of World War II. This film also included two other Karate Kid stars, Tamlyn Tomita and Pat Morita.[4] He is a producer for the 2020 independent film The Paper Tigers, in which he has a small role as well.[5]
In 2021, Okumoto reprised his Karate Kid II role as Chozen Toguchi, who, beginning with Season 3 of Cobra Kai, is now a friend and ally of Daniel.[6][7][8][9]
In 2002, Okumoto, together with his wife and mother-in-law, opened a Hawaiian restaurant called Kona Kitchen in Maple Leaf, Seattle.[10] A second location opened in Lynnwood, Washington in 2019.[11]
Okumoto lives in Seattle, Washington, with his wife Angela and their three daughters.[12]
Year
Title
Role
Notes
1985
Crime Killer
Vietnam Soldier
Fenton
Yee Sook Ree
1986
The Check Is in the Mail...
Bellboy
1988
Kenzo Konishi
1989
1991
Chou / Transvestite #2
Video (voice: English version)
1992
Yoshiro Han
1993
Mickey
Uncredited
Chou-Sing
Wu
Video
Kazuo
1994
Tommy
Lieutenant Sakagami
Yuji
1995
Hard Justice
Jimmy Wong
Video
1995
3x3 Eyes: Legend of the Divine Demon
Naparva
Video (voice: English version)
1997
Blast
FBI Agent
Hoss
Electrical
Nikko Hotel Manager
1998
Japanese Family Man
Sorcerers
Secretary
2000
Sato
Matsuo Yomma
2001
Zenji Abe
Embassy Consul
2005
'Pestilence'
2006
Parsons
Sergeant Yukio 'Yuk' Nakajo
Dr. Lee
2007
Cookies for Sale
Grumpy Man
Short
2008
Ken
Short
2009
Black Coffee
David
Short
Anatomy of a Fly
Politician
Short
2010
Saito's Attendant
2014
Awesome Asian Bad Guys
Yuji
2015
The Surgeon
2017
Unspoken: Diary of an Assassin
Unknown
2018
Judge Takasugi
Ultra Low
Yuji
2020
Wing
Also producer
Year
Title
Role
Notes
1986
Howie Kalanuma
Episode: "Blood Sport"
1987
Masaki
Episode: "Desperately Seeking Dacody"
1988
Jimmy
2 episodes
1990
Murder in Paradise
Unknown
Television film
Only One Survived
Peter Fujko
Television film
Lee Minh
Episode: "Home to Roost"
1991
Teruo Kuroda
Episode: "Hot Summer Winds"
1991–1995
Naparva, Chou, Yakumo's Coworker
English dub[13]
1991–1993
Art Nam
6 episodes
1994
Menendez: A Killing in Beverly Hills
Lester Kuriyama
Television film
1995
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
Chen Chow
Episode: "Chi of Steel"
Nguyen
Episode: "Holy Ghosts"
Kim Huan
Episode: "Murder a la Mode"
1996
Lieutenant Kwan
2 episodes
Security Guard
Voice, episode: "A Little Piece of Home"[13]
Chang
Episode: "Higher Power"
1997
Mr. Hayashi
Episode: "Rashocon"
1998
Lo
Episode: "Love Kills"
Jiro Kitamura
Episode: "Innocence"
1999
Kevin Tanaka
Uncredited, episode: "Miss Pretty"
Pete
Television film
2000
Mr. Strinc
Episode: "Scorpio Rising"
Unknown
Voice, episode: "Seraphim"
Davis
Television film
2001
Officer
Episode: "A Southern Town"
Graffiti
Voice, pilot
Morton Zhou
Episode: "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Val"
2003
Partners
One Eye
Television film
2007
Mr. Michael
Episode: "The Broom Cupboard"
Pete
Television film
2008
Naomasa Ii
Documentary, episode: "Shogun"
Mask of the Ninja
Nakano
Television film
2009
Katana
Kenji
Episode: "Pilot" (also producer and writer)
Bruce Takedo
Episode: "The Girl in the Mask"
2011–13
Tseng Dangun, Singh Manh Li, Xaiping
Voice, 3 episodes[13]
2012
Mr. Liu
Episode: "Red is the New Black"
2013
Sheriff Gaffen
Episode: "One Night Stand"
2018
Mr. Yukimura
Episode: "Godparents"
2021–present
Guest: Season 3 and Season 4; recurring: Season 5[14]
Year
Title
Voice role
1995
Johnny Mnemonic: The Interactive Action Movie
Shinji
2001
Swordsman
2003
Additional Voices
International
National
