He was a member of the Japan Series winning team that season, a feat accomplished a total of five times during his career with the Swallows.

He made his major league debut on April 6, 2002, striking out ten batters and allowing two hits and no runs in five and two-thirds innings against the Chicago Cubs.

Ishii underwent emergency surgery for a nasal fracture wherein he had bone chips removed and replaced with a small titanium plate.

[1] In March 2005, the New York Mets acquired Ishii in exchange for catcher Jason Phillips to replace injured starting pitcher Steve Trachsel.

[3] Ishii is married to Ayako Kisa, a television presenter for BS Asahi's "Ima Sekaiwa" ("今世界は") program, and has one child, Kanta, and resides in Chiba, Japan.