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.
Known For
| Birth Location | Kobe, Japan |
|---|---|
| Born | 1933-12-10 |
| Died | 2006-07-21 |
Movies
Rise: Blood Hunter
as Poe
2007
TMNT
as Splinter (voice)
2007
The Slanted Screen
as Himself
2006
Memoirs of a Geisha
as Sakamoto
2005
2005
Bulletproof Monk
as Mr. Kojima
2003
Cruel Game
as Straw Hat
2002
2001
Pearl Harbor
as Adm. Isoroku Yamamoto
2001
Rugrats in Paris: The Movie
as Mr. Yamaguchi (voice)
2000
Conan Unchained: The Making of 'Conan'
as The Wizard (archive footage)
2000
1999
AlegrÃa: An Enchanting Fable
as Old Momo
1999
The Bird People in China
as Shen
1998
Seven Years in Tibet
as Kungo Tsarong
1997
Riot
as Mr. Lee
1997
1997
Sworn to Justice
as Mr. Young
1996
Balance of Power
as Todo Matsumoto
1996
Midnight Man
as Buun Som
1995
Crying Freeman
as Shido Shimazaki
1995
Highlander: The Final Dimension
as Nakano
1994
A Dangerous Place
as Sensei
1994
Red Sun Rising
as Buntoro Iga
1994
Rising Sun
as Yoshida-san
1993
RoboCop 3
as Kanemitsu
1993
Sidekicks
as Mr. Lee
1992
Nightingale
as Narrator (voice)
1992
1992
Strawberry Road
as Frank Machida
1991
The Perfect Weapon
as Kim
1991
Pacific Heights
as Toshio Watanabe
1990
Taking Care of Business
as Mr. Sakamoto
1990
Hiroshima: Out of the Ashes
as Sgt. Moritaki
1990
Fatal Mission
as Trang
1990
Murder in Paradise
as Capt. Kilalo
1990
An Unremarkable Life
as Max Chin
1989
The Wash
as Nobu Matsumoto
1988
Tucker: The Man and His Dream
as Jimmy
1988
Silent Assassins
as Oyama
1988
Armed Response
as Akira Tanaka
1986
P.O.W. The Escape
as Capt. Vinh
1986
Kung Fu The Movie
as The Manchu
1986
Hawaiian Heat
as Maj. Taro Oshira
1984
Conan the Destroyer
as Akiro 'The Wizard'
1984
Girls of the White Orchid
as Mori
1983
Testament
as Mike
1983
The Last Ninja
as Aitaro Sakura
1983
The Nightingale
as Gardener / Minister
1983
Conan the Barbarian
as The Wizard / Narrator
1982
An Eye for an Eye
as James Chan
1981
Under the Rainbow
as Nakomuri
1981
The Bushido Blade
as Enjiro
1981
Hito Hata: Raise the Banner
as Oda
1980
The Big Brawl
as Herbert
1980
When Hell Was in Session
as Maj. Bai
1979
Pacific Overtures
as Reciter/Shogun/Jonathan Goble
1976
Farewell to Manzanar
as Fukimoto
1976
Wataridori: Birds of Passage
as narrator
1976
The Killer Elite
as Yuen Chung
1975
Prisoners
as Sgt. Nguyen
1975
Judge Dee and the Monastery Murders
as Tao Gan
1974
The Island at the Top of the World
as Oomiak
1974
The Green Hornet
as Low Sing
1974
Yokahama Mama
as Rooster (voice)
1972
If Tomorrow Comes
as Tadashi
1971
Silence
as Kichijiro
1971
Fools
as Psychiatrist
1970
The Hawaiians
as Mun Ki
1970
The Challenge
as Yuro
1970
The Great Bank Robbery
as Secret Agent Fong
1969
The Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell
as Calvin Coolidge Ishimura
1968
The Sand Pebbles
as Po-han
1966
The Ugly Dachshund
as Kenji
1966
McHale's Navy Joins the Air Force
as Japanese Submarine Captain (uncredited)
1965
Never So Few
as Soldier in Hospital
1959
Movies
Silence
Production Design
1971
