Yoshio Yoda
{{short description|Japanese-born American actor and businessman (1934–2023)}}
{{use mdy dates|date=November 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Yoshio Yoda
| image = Yoshio yoda.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Yoda in 1965
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1934|03|31}}
| birth_place = Tokyo, Empire of Japan
| death_date = {{death date and age|2023|01|13|1934|03|31}}
| death_place = Fullerton, California, U.S.
| nationality =
| other_names = James Yoda
| occupation = Actor, film producer, business executive
| years_active = 1962–1965
| known_for = McHale's Navy
| notable_works =
}}
James Yoshio Yoda (March 31, 1934 – January 13, 2023) was a Japanese-born American actor and businessman who played Takeo Fujiwara in the American television series McHale's Navy.
Early life
Yoda was born on March 31, 1934, in Tokyo, Japan, the only son{{cite news |title=New-Found Career For USC Student |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88955000/los-angeles-evening-citizen-news/ |access-date=November 14, 2021 |work=Los Angeles Evening Citizen News |date=May 11, 1962 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211115045121/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88955000/los-angeles-evening-citizen-news/ |archive-date=November 15, 2021}} of a family of manufacturers.{{cite news |title=Yoshio Is In Another War In Video Show |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88954940/arizona-republic/ |access-date=November 14, 2021 |work=Arizona Republic |date=October 7, 1962 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211115034432/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88954940/arizona-republic/ |archive-date=November 15, 2021}} After Yoda graduated high school, he enrolled at Keio University to study law.{{cite news |last1=Darr |first1=Bert |title=Bert Darr's TV and Radio Question Box |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88959705/honolulu-star-bulletin/ |access-date=November 14, 2021 |work=Honolulu Star-Bulletin |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211115035153/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88959705/honolulu-star-bulletin/ |archive-date=November 15, 2021}} During this period, Yoda met Edward Ugast, then general manager in East Asia of 20th Century Fox. Ugast encouraged Yoda to pursue a career in acting. Yoda abandoned his studies and immigrated to the United States, whereupon he enrolled at University of Southern California in August 1958 with aspirations of becoming a film producer.{{cite news |last1=MacMinn |first1=Arlene |title=One of World War II's greatest mysteries |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88963053/the-los-angeles-times/ |access-date=November 14, 2021 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=August 1, 1965 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211115042931/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88963053/the-los-angeles-times/ |archive-date=November 15, 2021}} In summer 1961, William White, a USC faculty member, received a call from Joe Pasternak of MGM seeking a young man who could speak English and Japanese. White contacted Yoda, who was then put in touch with MGM's casting office. After a series of interviews, Yoda was cast in the part of Sgt. Roy Tada in The Horizontal Lieutenant. Yoda's success in that role{{cite news |title=The Horizontal Lieutenant |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88963183/the-kansas-city-star/ |access-date=November 14, 2021 |work=Kansas City Star |date=April 22, 1962 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211115053523/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88963183/the-kansas-city-star/ |archive-date=November 15, 2021}} led him to be cast as Imperial Japanese Navy Seaman 3rd Class Fujiwara "Fuji" Takeo Kobiashi in the American television series McHale's Navy.{{cite news |title=Accidental Actor |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88954793/lansing-state-journal/ |access-date=November 14, 2021 |work=Lansing State Journal |date=January 19, 1963 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211115050045/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88954793/lansing-state-journal/ |archive-date=November 15, 2021}} He was recast in the role in the later feature-length films McHale's Navy{{cite news |title=McHale's Navy |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88965928/press-and-sun-bulletin/ |access-date=November 14, 2021 |work=Press and Sun-Bulletin |date=May 7, 1968 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211115054924/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88965928/press-and-sun-bulletin/ |archive-date=November 15, 2021 |location=Binghamton, NY}} and McHale's Navy Joins the Air Force.{{cite news |title=Opening Tonight at Towne |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/other-articles-clipping-jun-16-1965-2817894/ |access-date=November 14, 2021 |work=Bristol Daily Courier |date=June 16, 1965 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211115055334/https://newspaperarchive.com/other-articles-clipping-jun-16-1965-2817894/ |archive-date=November 15, 2021}}
Yoda continued attending school while acting, eventually earning a degree in cinema arts.{{cite web|url=http://www.morningsideoffullerton.com/news-morningside/newsletters-morningside/2013March.pdf#2 |title=Friends and Neighbors |publisher=Morningside Newsletter Vol 22, March 2013 |access-date=11 December 2014 }} {{Dead link|date=November 2021}}
Later career
After McHale's Navy ended in 1966, Yoda acted in the 1969 segment of Love American Style titled "Love and the Letter." He was associate producer for "The Walking Major", which was nominated for a Golden Globe Award in 1971.
In the cast reunion extra feature on the McHale's Navy first season DVD set, Edson Stroll (Virgil in the series) stated that Yoda began primarily using his middle name of James and worked as a Toyota vice-president. He also reported that Yoda had secured his American citizenship. Yoda had lived in Honolulu, Hawaii for fifteen years, serving as assistant vice president of inventory for Toyota in Hawaii,{{cite news |title=International Unit Formed by Monroe & Friedlander |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88963488/honolulu-star-bulletin/ |access-date=November 14, 2021 |date=March 26, 1987 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211115060307/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88963488/honolulu-star-bulletin/ |archive-date=November 15, 2021}} where he had become a United States citizen and was active in the Lions Club. From 2012 until his death, Yoda lived in Fullerton, California.
Personal life
Yoda announced that he was to wed Yoko Okazaki, a Japanese fashion model, in June 1964.{{cite news |last1=Ladd |first1=Bill |title=Television-Radio Almanac |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88965274/the-courier-journal/ |access-date=November 14, 2021 |work=The Courier-Journal |date=April 5, 1964 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211115052838/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88965274/the-courier-journal/ |archive-date=November 15, 2021 |location=Louisville, KY}}{{cite news |title=McHale and Yoshio Yoda getting married this year |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88955056/the-ottawa-citizen/ |access-date=November 14, 2021 |work=Ottawa Citizen |date=March 14, 1964 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211115052957/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88955056/the-ottawa-citizen/ |archive-date=November 15, 2021}} In 1965, Yoda headed the panel of judges that chose the Nisei Week Festival Queen at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles.{{cite news |title=Name judges to pick '65 Festival queen |url=https://gpa-eastview-com.libproxy1.usc.edu/rafu/newspapers/trs19650814-01.1.1 |access-date=November 14, 2021 |work=Rafu Shimpo |date=August 14, 1965}}
Yoda died in Fullerton, California, on January 13, 2023, at the age of 88.{{cite news |last1=Barnes |first1=Mike |title=Yoshio Yoda, Actor on 'McHale's Navy,' Dies at 88 |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/yoshio-yoda-dead-mchales-navy-1235307153/ |access-date=23 January 2023 |publisher=The Hollywood Reporter |date=23 January 2023}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|id=0948304}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yoda, Yoshio}}
Category:Japanese male television actors
Category:Male actors from Tokyo
Category:People from Fullerton, California
Category:USC School of Cinematic Arts alumni
Category:Keio University alumni
Category:Japanese business executives
Category:Japanese emigrants to the United States
Category:American male actors of Japanese descent