# Dale Ishimoto

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American actor (1923–2004)

Dale Isamu Ishimoto Ishimoto in a publicity photo for Midway (1976) Born Dale Isamu Ishimoto (1923-04-03)April 3, 1923 Delta, Colorado, U.S. Died March 4, 2004(2004-03-04) (aged 80) Culver City, California, U.S. Years active 1957–1998 Spouse Miiko Taka (m. 1944; div. 1958) Military career Allegiance United States Branch United States Army Service years 1943-1945 Unit 442nd Regimental Combat Team Conflicts World War II

**Dale Isamu Ishimoto** (April 3, 1923 – March 4, 2004) was an American actor of [Japanese](/source/Japanese_people) descent.

## Early life

A second-generation [Japanese American](/source/Japanese_American) (*[Nisei](/source/Nisei)*), Ishimoto was born in [Delta, Colorado](/source/Delta%2C_Colorado) in 1923 and was raised in [Guadalupe, California](/source/Guadalupe%2C_California).[1]

### Military service

After being sent to the [Gila River internment camp](/source/Gila_River_War_Relocation_Center) in Arizona,[2] Ishimoto volunteered to fight in World War II, joining the [442nd Regimental Combat Team](/source/442nd_Regimental_Combat_Team). After two years, he was awarded a [Purple Heart](/source/Purple_Heart) and given a medical discharge.[3]

## Career

After starting a business in Chicago, he moved back to California, where he grew up, and started his acting career at the Altadena Playhouse. He became a "familiar figure" for playing "villainous Japanese soldiers".[3]

Over the course of his career, he acted in a wide variety of movies, such as a Japanese army captain in *[Beach Red](/source/Beach_Red)* (1967), a [Korean](/source/Korea) doctor in *[MASH](/source/MASH_(film))* (1970), a karate instructor in *[Superchick](/source/Superchick_(film))* (1973), and as Vice Admiral [Boshiro Hosogaya](/source/Boshiro_Hosogaya) in *[Midway](/source/Midway_(1976_film))* (1976).

He became known in the late 1990s for his appearances in television commercials for [Nissan](/source/Nissan) in which he portrayed [Yutaka Katayama](/source/Yutaka_Katayama), the company's former president.[4] He also appeared in one episode of *Wanted: Dead or Alive*.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

Ishimoto also co-founded the Canyon Theatre Guild in [Santa Clarita](/source/Santa_Clarita%2C_California), and taught acting at the [Pasadena Playhouse](/source/Pasadena_Playhouse). After retiring from acting in 1998, he chaired local charters of the [American Red Cross](/source/American_Red_Cross) and [Boys & Girls Clubs of America](/source/Boys_%26_Girls_Clubs_of_America).

## Personal life

Ishimoto married [Miiko Taka](/source/Miiko_Taka), an actress and the long-time interpreter for [Toshiro Mifune](/source/Toshiro_Mifune) and [Akira Kurosawa](/source/Akira_Kurosawa), in [Baltimore](/source/Baltimore) in 1944.[5] They had two children: a son and a daughter. They divorced in 1958.[6] Ishimoto was [Methodist](/source/Methodism).

### Death

Ishimoto died in [Culver City, California](/source/Culver_City%2C_California) on March 4, 2004, aged 80.[7]

## Filmography

- *[The King and I](/source/The_King_and_I_(1956_film))* (1956) - Crewman (uncredited)

- *[Tokyo After Dark](/source/Tokyo_After_Dark)* (1959) - Reporter (uncredited)

- *[Battle of the Coral Sea](/source/Battle_of_the_Coral_Sea_(film))* (1959) - Japanese Guard (uncredited)

- *[Never So Few](/source/Never_So_Few)* (1959) - Scout (uncredited)

- *[The Wackiest Ship in the Army](/source/The_Wackiest_Ship_in_the_Army_(film))* (1960) - Japanese Pilot (uncredited)

- *[The Great Impostor](/source/The_Great_Impostor)* (1961) - Korean Soldier (uncredited)

- *[Operation Bottleneck](/source/Operation_Bottleneck)* (1961) - Matsu

- *[Battle at Bloody Beach](/source/Battle_at_Bloody_Beach)* (1961) - Blanco

- *[A Majority of One](/source/A_Majority_of_One_(film))* (1961) - Taxi Driver (uncredited)

- *[Sea Hunt](/source/Sea_Hunt)* (1961) - Season 4, Episode 17

- *[The Nun and the Sergeant](/source/The_Nun_and_the_Sergeant)* (1962) - Pak

- *[PT 109](/source/PT_109_(film))* (1963) - Commander (uncredited)

- *[McHale's Navy](/source/McHale's_Navy_(1964_film))* (1964) - Japanese Captain

- *[Moro Witch Doctor](/source/Moro_Witch_Doctor)* (1964) - Manuel Romblon

- *[King Rat](/source/King_Rat_(film))* (1965) - Yoshima

- *[Walk, Don't Run](/source/Walk%2C_Don't_Run_(film))* (1966) - Plainclothesman (uncredited)

- *[The Sweet and the Bitter](/source/The_Sweet_and_the_Bitter_(1967_film))* (1967) - Dick Kazanami

- *[Beach Red](/source/Beach_Red)* (1967) - Captain Tanaka

- *[MASH](/source/MASH_(film))* (1970) - Korean Doctor (uncredited)

- *[The Games](/source/The_Games_(film))* (1970) - Japanese Doctor

- *[Superchick](/source/Superchick_(film))* (1973) - Karate Instructor

- *[When the North Wind Blows](/source/When_the_North_Wind_Blows)* (1974) - Yermak

- *[Sharks' Treasure](/source/Sharks'_Treasure)* (1975) - Ishi

- *[Midway](/source/Midway_(1976_film))* (1976) - Vice Admiral [Boshiro Hosogaya](/source/Boshiro_Hosogaya)

- *[Enter the Ninja](/source/Enter_the_Ninja)* (1981) - Komori

- *[Cracking Up](/source/Cracking_Up_(1983_film))* (1983) - Japanese Mechanic

- *[Cannonball Run II](/source/Cannonball_Run_II)* (1984) - Japanese Businessman (uncredited)

- *[Ninja III: The Domination](/source/Ninja_III%3A_The_Domination)* (1984) - Okuda

- *[Come See the Paradise](/source/Come_See_the_Paradise)* (1990) - Mr. Ogata

- *[Beverly Hills Ninja](/source/Beverly_Hills_Ninja)* (1997) - Old Japanese Man

- *Inconceivable* (1998) - Mr. Akiyama (final film role)

## Selected television

Year Title Role Notes 1962 Have Gun - Will Travel Temuchin - Paladin's Fencing Instructor Episode "The Mark of Cain" 1962-63 McHale's Navy Japanese Officer 3 Episodes 1961 Wanted Dead or Alive Taro Yamamoto Season 3, Episode 24 "The Long Search" 1961 The Twilight Zone Sgt. Yamazaki Season 3, Episode 15 "A Quality of Mercy"

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-questions_1-0)** Shearer, John (1997-07-20). "Question?". [Chattanooga Free Press](/source/Chattanooga_Free_Press). p. A2.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-archives_2-0)** ["Japanese American Internee Data File: Dale Ishimoto"](https://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-detail.jsp?dt=3099&mtch=11&tf=F&q=Dale&bc=&rpp=10&pg=2&rid=23841). [National Archives and Records Administration](/source/National_Archives_and_Records_Administration). Retrieved 2019-08-18.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-beachred_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-beachred_3-1) Scott, John L. (October 3, 1967). "Japanese Actor No Longer Villain". *[Los Angeles Times](/source/Los_Angeles_Times)*. p. C1.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-MrK_4-0)** Elliot, Stuart (1997-08-14). ["Nissan exults over an offbeat campaign, despite flat sales and a debate on ads that 'entertain.'"](https://www.nytimes.com/1997/08/14/business/nissan-exults-over-offbeat-campaign-despite-flat-sales-debate-ads-that-entertain.html). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*. p. A2.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-LAdivorce_5-0)** "Actress Miiko Taka of Movies Wins Divorce". *Los Angeles Times*. November 18, 1958. p. B1.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-NYdivorce_6-0)** "Miiko Taka Gets Divorce". *The New York Times*. November 17, 1958.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Dale Ishimoto Obituary (2004) - Los Angeles, CA - Los Angeles Times"](https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/latimes/name/dale-ishimoto-obituary?id=27414517). *Legacy.com*. Retrieved 2026-03-19.

## External links

- [Dale Ishimoto](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0411113/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier))

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Dale Ishimoto](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dale_Ishimoto) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dale_Ishimoto?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.