Donald Yujiro Okumoto (born April 20, 1959) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Chozen Toguchi in the film The Karate Kid Part II (1986) and its sequel television series Cobra Kai (2021–25).
He has also appeared in the films 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).
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Early life
Donald Yujiro Okumoto (ドナルド・奥本裕次郎, Donald Yūjiro Okumoto; born April 20, 1959) was born to Japanese parents Yoshiharu and Yemiko Okumoto in Los Angeles on April 20, 1959. His father was a Japanese immigrant who worked as a short-order cook and later a gardener in Los Angeles after World War II, and his mother was born in America, making Okumoto both a Nisei and a Sansei.
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 Taekwondo 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.
He graduated from Hollywood High School and Cal State Fullerton, where he studied acting.
Career
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. Perhaps his most well-known role is as Daniel's rival, Chozen Toguchi in the 1986 film, The Karate Kid Part II. 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.
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. He is a producer for the 2020 independent film The Paper Tigers, in which he has a small role as well.
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.
Restauranter
In 2002, Okumoto, together with his wife and mother-in-law, opened a Hawaiian restaurant called Kona Kitchen in Maple Leaf, Seattle. A second location opened in Lynnwood, Washington in 2019.
Personal life
Okumoto lives in Seattle, Washington, with his wife Angela Okumoto (née Mar) and their three daughters.
Okumoto said he believes "Perfectionism is the death of good acting."
