Mako was born in Kobe, Japan, the son of noted children's book author and illustrator Taro Yashima. His parents moved to the United States when he was a small child. He joined them there after World War II, in 1949, joining the military in the 1950s. He became a naturalized American citizen in 1956. When Mako first joined his parents in the USA, he studied architecture. During his military service, he discovered his theatrical talent, and trained at the Pasadena Community Playhouse. Mako was married to actress Shizuko Hoshi with whom he had two daughters (both are actresses) and three grandchildren.
Movie | Samurai Jack: The Premiere Movie | Aku | 2017-10-16 |
Movie | Arpeggio of Blue Steel -Ars Nova Cadenza- | Maya | 2015-10-03 |
Movie | TMNT | Splinter (voice) | 2007-03-23 |
Movie | Rise: Blood Hunter | Poe | 2007-04-28 |
Movie | The Slanted Screen | Himself | 2006-01-03 |
Movie | Maid In Akihabara | Shinohara Saki | 2005-12-01 |
Movie | Memoirs of a Geisha | Sakamoto | 2005-12-06 |
Series | Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go! | Unknown | 2004-09-18 |
Movie | Bulletproof Monk | Mr. Kojima | 2003-03-28 |
Series | Duck Dodgers | Unknown | 2003-08-23 |
Series | Monk | Unknown | 2002-07-12 |
Movie | Cruel Game | Straw Hat | 2002-11-27 |
Movie | Pearl Harbor | Adm. Isoroku Yamamoto | 2001-05-21 |
Series | Samurai Jack | Aku | 2001-08-10 |
Series | The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne | Unknown | 2000-06-18 |
Movie | Conan Unchained: The Making of 'Conan' | The Wizard (archive footage) | 2000-05-30 |
Movie | Rugrats in Paris: The Movie | Mr. Yamaguchi (voice) | 2000-11-17 |
Movie | Alegría: An Enchanting Fable | Old Momo | 1999-01-10 |
Movie | The Bird People in China | Shen | 1998-06-10 |
Movie | The Sea Wolf | 1997-01-01 | |
Movie | Seven Years in Tibet | Kungo Tsarong | 1997-09-12 |
Movie | Riot | Mr. Lee | 1997-04-27 |
Series | Dexter's Laboratory | 1996-04-28 | |
Movie | Balance of Power | Todo Matsumoto | 1996-06-25 |
Movie | Sworn to Justice | Mr. Young | 1996-10-01 |
Series | Platypus Man | Unknown | 1995-01-23 |
Movie | Crying Freeman | Shido Shimazaki | 1995-04-23 |
Series | JAG | Unknown | 1995-09-23 |
Movie | Midnight Man | Buun Som | 1995-05-09 |
Movie | A Dangerous Place | Sensei | 1994-11-14 |
Movie | Red Sun Rising | Buntoro Iga | 1994-09-01 |
Movie | Highlander: The Final Dimension | Nakano | 1994-11-29 |
Movie | (Nama) Tôchô Ripôto: Chiwa | 1993-03-05 | |
Movie | RoboCop 3 | Kanemitsu | 1993-01-21 |
Series | Walker, Texas Ranger | Unknown | 1993-04-21 |
Series | Diagnosis: Murder | Unknown | 1993-10-29 |
Series | Frasier | Sam Tanaka | 1993-09-16 |
Movie | Rising Sun | Yoshida-san | 1993-07-30 |
Movie | My Samurai | 1992-01-01 | |
Movie | Sidekicks | Mr. Lee | 1992-12-17 |
Movie | The Perfect Weapon | Kim | 1991-03-15 |
Movie | Fatal Mission | Trang | 1990-07-25 |
Movie | Hiroshima: Out of the Ashes | Sgt. Moritaki | 1990-08-06 |
Movie | Murder in Paradise | Capt. Kilalo | 1990-01-19 |
Movie | Pacific Heights | Toshio Watanabe | 1990-09-28 |
Movie | Taking Care of Business | Mr. Sakamoto | 1990-08-16 |
Movie | An Unremarkable Life | Max Chin | 1989-10-12 |
Series | The Simpsons | Unknown | 1989-12-17 |
Series | Supercarrier | Unknown | 1988-03-06 |
Movie | Tucker: The Man and His Dream | Jimmy | 1988-08-12 |
Movie | The Wash | Nobu Matsumoto | 1988-08-17 |
Series | Paradise | Unknown | 1988-10-27 |
Series | Tour of Duty | Unknown | 1987-09-24 |
Series | Lovejoy | Unknown | 1986-01-10 |
Movie | Kung Fu The Movie | The Manchu | 1986-02-01 |
Movie | P.O.W. The Escape | Capt. Vinh | 1986-04-01 |
Movie | Armed Response | Akira Tanaka | 1986-10-01 |
Series | The Equalizer | Unknown | 1985-09-18 |
Series | Spenser: For Hire | Unknown | 1985-09-20 |
Movie | Conan the Destroyer | Akiro 'The Wizard' | 1984-06-29 |
Movie | Hawaiian Heat | Maj. Taro Oshira | 1984-09-14 |
Series | Hawaiian Heat | 1984-09-14 | |
Movie | The Nightingale | Gardener / Minister | 1983-05-10 |
Series | The A-Team | Pastry Chef | 1983-01-23 |
Movie | The Last Ninja | Aitaro Sakura | 1983-07-07 |
Movie | Testament | Mike | 1983-11-04 |
Movie | Girls of the White Orchid | Mori | 1983-11-28 |
Movie | Conan the Barbarian | The Wizard / Narrator | 1982-04-02 |
Series | Voyagers! | Unknown | 1982-10-03 |
Movie | The Bushido Blade | Enjiro | 1981-06-19 |
Series | Flamingo Road | Unknown | 1981-01-06 |
Movie | Under the Rainbow | Nakomuri | 1981-07-31 |
Movie | An Eye for an Eye | James Chan | 1981-08-14 |
Movie | The Big Brawl | Herbert | 1980-08-18 |
Series | Magnum, P.I. | Unknown | 1980-12-11 |
Movie | When Hell Was in Session | Maj. Bai | 1979-10-08 |
Series | The Incredible Hulk | Unknown | 1977-11-04 |
Movie | Farewell to Manzanar | Fukimoto | 1976-03-11 |
Movie | Pacific Overtures | Reciter/Shogun/Jonathan Goble | 1976-09-06 |
Series | Khan! | Unknown | 1975-02-07 |
Movie | Prisoners | Sgt. Nguyen | 1975-07-01 |
Series | Wonder Woman | Unknown | 1975-11-07 |
Movie | The Killer Elite | Yuen Chung | 1975-12-19 |
Movie | The Green Hornet | Low Sing | 1974-03-21 |
Movie | The Island at the Top of the World | Oomiak | 1974-12-16 |
Movie | Judge Dee and the Monastery Murders | Tao Gan | 1974-12-29 |
Series | Kung Fu | Unknown | 1972-10-14 |
Movie | Yokahama Mama | Rooster (voice) | 1972-12-24 |
Series | Columbo | Unknown | 1971-09-15 |
Movie | If Tomorrow Comes | Tadashi | 1971-12-07 |
Movie | Silence | Kichijiro | 1971-11-13 |
Movie | The Challenge | Yuro | 1970-02-10 |
Movie | Fools | Psychiatrist | 1970-12-23 |
Movie | The Hawaiians | Mun Ki | 1970-06-17 |
Movie | The Great Bank Robbery | Secret Agent Fong | 1969-06-24 |
Movie | The Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell | Calvin Coolidge Ishimura | 1968-05-08 |
Series | Hawaii Five-O | Unknown | 1968-09-20 |
Series | Ironside | Unknown | 1967-03-28 |
Series | Mannix | Unknown | 1967-09-16 |
Movie | The Ugly Dachshund | Kenji | 1966-02-16 |
Movie | The Sand Pebbles | Po-han | 1966-12-20 |
Series | F Troop | Unknown | 1965-09-14 |
Series | The Big Valley | Unknown | 1965-09-15 |
Series | Burke's Law | Unknown | 1963-09-20 |
Series | The Lloyd Bridges Show | Unknown | 1962-09-11 |
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