It’s been decades since Seattle actor Yuji Okumoto first played the character of Chozen in the 1986 film “The Karate Kid Part II.” However, while the 65-year-old was first known for playing an memorable villain, he has now taken up a new mantle: being one of the reliable and fun heroes of the hit Netflix spinoff show “Cobra Kai.” Now midway through its sixth and final season with the second of three parts releasing on Nov. 15, Okumoto is again saying farewell to the character.
“It’s been a blessing to be part of this show,” Okumoto reflected, recounting an appreciation for how, when he returned to reprise the role in Season 3, the creators adapted to how he wanted to reshape the character. “When they first approached me with the idea of bringing Chozen back, I actually turned it down. The script was good, but I didn’t see Chozen coming back in that manner. … They rewrote the scenes, presented it back to me, and once I read the rewrites, I said, ‘I’m in, you guys are awesome.’ That was the beginning.”
Though his character faded into the background a bit after that, from the moment Okumoto made his triumphant return set to a shredding guitar at a gravesite scene in the final moments of Season 4, he’s once again become an integral part of the show. He’s helped fight off swarms of goons, cracked plenty of knowing jokes and, most critically, served as a balancing force to protagonists Daniel (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny (William Zabka) when they keep butting heads.
Though “Cobra Kai” has been better with him in it, Okumoto is also much more than the show. In addition to acting in the series and the local indie action gem “The Paper Tigers,” he has continued working at the family restaurant Kona Kitchen as well as starting a nonprofit in honor of his late mother-in-law Elizabeth “Liz” Mar, who died with her husband, Robert, in 2020. The organization, the Kona Ohana Fund, was originally intended to help with scholarships, though it now also helps raise money for those in Hawaii still recovering from the recent devastating fires. It has become Okumoto’s way of giving back and supporting community in need as it did him when he was going through a painful time in his life.
“It was a tough time because we had lost two dear people in my life,” Okumoto said. “We managed to get through all that and come out the other side, but it’s because of the community. I can’t thank them enough for all the love and support they showed us over those tough times. … What I want to do [with Kona Ohana Fund] is bring positivity to the community and to this world and to give back.”
Though his chapter in “Cobra Kai” is coming to a close and Chozen’s journey with it, don’t expect Okumoto to be slowing down any time soon. However, he did share one final parting reflection on the last day he had getting to play this part that’s been such a big part of his life.
“When that final moment came on the set for my character to be wrapped, I thought, ‘I’m not gonna get emotional, it’s just work and you move on.’ But this show went beyond just coming to work and doing a job,” Okumoto said. “I felt like I went on his incredible journey, just like Chozen went on this journey. I felt I learned a lot as an actor and, most importantly, as a person. Learning about cherishing each and every moment and cherishing each other in all those times that we shared.”
