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 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.[2][3]
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 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]
Okumoto said he believes "Perfectionism is the death of good acting."[10]
Kona Kitchen
In 2002, Okumoto, together with his wife and mother-in-law, opened a Hawaiian restaurant called Kona Kitchen in Maple Leaf, Seattle.[11] A second location opened in Lynnwood, Washington in 2019.[12]
Personal life
Okumoto lives in Seattle, Washington, with his wife Angela and their three daughters.[13]
^ abc"Yuji Okumoto (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved May 7, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
