Morita, Pat (1932-2005), was a Japanese American comedian and actor. He rose to fame through roles in the television comedy series “Happy Days” (1974-1984) and the motion picture The Karate Kid (1984) and its sequels. 
Noriyuki Morita was born June 28, 1932, in Isleton, California, to Japanese immigrants. As a child, Morita suffered from spinal tuberculosis—a form of the disease tuberculosis that affects the spine—and spent almost a decade in the hospital. When he was 10, his family was forcibly relocated by the United States government during World War II (1939-1945) as part of a policy called internment (see Japanese American internment). The Moritas were held at camps in Arizona and northern California during the war. Following the war, the family moved to Sacramento and opened a restaurant.
Morita worked as a stand-up comic throughout the 1960’s. He made his motion-picture acting debut in 1967, with a small role in “Thoroughly Modern Millie.” From 1967 through 1975, Morita continued acting in small parts. In 1975, he was cast in a recurring role in “Happy Days.” He played Matsuo “Arnold” Takashi, the owner of the diner where much of the show’s action took place. Morita made his last appearance on “Happy Days” in 1983. The following year, he appeared in The Karate Kid as Mr. Miyagi, the title character’s friend and mentor. Morita continued the role in The Karate Kid Part II (1986) The Karate Kid Part III (1989), and The Next Karate Kid (1994). In 1998, Morita voiced the Emperor in Disney’s animated film Mulan. He died on Nov. 24, 2005, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
