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.

Filmography

• 2017Samurai Jack: The Premiere Movie — Aku (voice)
• 2007Cages — Tan
• 2007Rise: Blood Hunter — Poe
• 2007TMNT — Splinter (voice), In Memory Of
• Avatar: The Last Airbender — Iroh (voice)
• 2005Genndy's Scrapbook: The Story of Genndy Tartakovsky — Self/Narrator
• Maid in Akihabara
• 2005Memoirs of a Geisha — Sakamoto
• Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go!
• 2003Bulletproof Monk — Mr. Kojima
• Duck Dodgers — Happy Cat (voice), Happy Cat / Ah-Choo (voice)
• Lost at Home
• 2002Cruel Game — Straw Hat
• Monk — Master Zi
• What's New, Scooby-Doo? — The Ancient One (voice)
• 2001Pearl Harbor — Admiral Yamamoto
• Samurai Jack — Aku (voice)
• 2000Conan Unchained: The Making of 'Conan' — The Wizard (archive footage)
• 2000Rugrats in Paris: The Movie — Mr. Yamaguchi (voice)
• The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne
• 1999Alegría — Old Momo
• 1999The Accomplice — Santos
• The West Wing — Dr. Yosh Takahashi
• Martial Law — Master Reng
• 1998The Bird People in China — Shen
• 1997Riot — Mr. Lee
• 1997Seven Years in Tibet — Kungo Tsarong
• 1997The Sea Wolf
• 7th Heaven — Henry Muranaka
• 1996Balance of Power — Todo Matsumoto
• 1996Sworn to Justice — Mr. Young
• 1995Crying Freeman — Shudo Shimazaki
• JAG — Ichiro Higashimori
• 1995Midnight Man — Buun Som
• Platypus Man — Mr. Loo
• 1994A Dangerous Place — Sensei
• 1994Highlander III: The Sorcerer — Nakano
• 1994Red Sun Rising — Buntoro Iga
• Diagnosis: Murder — Lee Moy
• Frasier — Sam Tanaka
• Kung Fu: The Legend Continues — Li Sung
• 1993Rising Sun — Yoshida-san
• 1993RoboCop 3 — Kanemitsu
• Walker, Texas Ranger — Dr. Henry Lee, Edward Song
• 1992My Samurai
• 1992Nightingale — Narrator (voice)
• 1992Sidekicks — Mr. Lee
• 1991Strawberry Road — Frank Machida
• 1991The Perfect Weapon — Kim
• 1990Fatal Mission — Trang
• 1990Hiroshima: Out of the Ashes — Sgt. Moritaki
• 1990Murder in Paradise — Capt. Kilalo
• 1990Pacific Heights — Toshio Watanabe
• 1990Taking Care of Business — Mr. Sakamoto
• 1989An Unremarkable Life — Max Chin
• The Paradise Club — Mr. Yamamoto
• Paradise — Kao
• 1988Silent Assassins — Oyama
• Supercarrier
• 1988The Wash — Nobu Matsumoto
• 1988Tucker: The Man and His Dream — Jimmy
• Tour of Duty — Tran
• 1986Armed Response — Akira Tanaka
• 1986Kung Fu: The Movie — The Manchu
• Lovejoy — Toshiro Tanaka
• 1986P.O.W. The Escape — Capt. Vinh
• Spenser: For Hire
• The Equalizer — Jimmy Thanarat
• 1984Conan the Destroyer — Akiro 'The Wizard'
• 1984Hawaiian Heat — Maj. Taro Oshira
• Hawaiian Heat — Maj. Taro Oshira
• 1983Girls of the White Orchid — Mori
• 1983Testament — Mike
• The A-Team — Pastry Chef
• 1983The Last Ninja — Aitaro Sakura
• 1983The Nightingale — Gardener / Minister
• American Playhouse — Mike, Nobu Matsumoto
• Bring 'Em Back Alive
• 1982Conan the Barbarian — The Wizard
• Faerie Tale Theatre — Gardener / Minister
• Voyagers!
• 1981An Eye for an Eye — James Chan
• Flamingo Road
• 1981The Bushido Blade — Enjiro
• The Greatest American Hero — Master of Flowers
• 1981Under the Rainbow — Nakomuri
• 1980Hito Hata: Raise the Banner — Oda
• Magnum, P.I. — Tozan
• 1980The Big Brawl — Herbert
• A Man Called Sloane — Tanaka
• Supertrain — Kirby Yamashida
• The Facts of Life — Mr. Wakamatsu
• 1979When Hell Was in Session — Maj. Bai
• The Incredible Hulk — Li Sung
• 1976Anatomy of a Song
• 1976Farewell to Manzanar — Fukimoto
• Mr. T and Tina
• 1976Pacific Overtures — Reciter/Shogun/Jonathan Goble
• Quincy, M.E. — John Moroshima, Mr. Yamaguchi
• Visions
• 1976Wataridori: Birds of Passage — Narrator
• 1975Karate Sensei — Narrator
• Khan!
• 1975Prisoners — Sgt. Nguyen
• 1975The Killer Elite — Yuen Chung
• Wonder Woman — Mr. Brown
• 1974Judge Dee and the Monastery Murders — Tao Gan
• 1974The Green Hornet — Low Sing
• 1974The Island at the Top of the World — Oomiak
• Anna and the King — Sanum
• Kung Fu — Wong Ti Lu
• M*A*S*H — Major Choi
• 1972The Streets of San Francisco — Kenji
• 1972Yokahama Mama — Rooster (voice)
• Columbo — Kanji Ousu
• 1971If Tomorrow Comes — Tadashi
• 1971Silence — Kichijiro, Production Design
• 1970Fools — Psychiatrist
• 1970The Challenge — Yuro
• 1970The Hawaiians — Mun Ki
• Hawaii Five-O — Kazuo Tahashi
• Love, American Style — Jack
• Room 222
• 1969The Great Bank Robbery — Secret Agent Fong
• 1968The Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell — Calvin Coolidge Ishimura
• Ironside — Phil Tsang
• Mannix — Tami Okada
• The Green Hornet — Low Sing
• 1966The Sand Pebbles — Po-han
• The Time Tunnel — Lt. Nakamura
• 1966The Ugly Dachshund — Kenji
• F Troop — Samurai Warrior
• Gidget
• I Dream of Jeannie — Kato
• 1965McHale's Navy Joins the Air Force — Japanese Submarine Captain (uncredited)
• The Big Valley — Wong Lo
• The F.B.I. — Yoshimura, Angry Youth (uncredited)
• Arrest and Trial — Kyoto
• Burke's Law — Happy Tuava, Pete
• Ensign O'Toole — Yamada, Jr.
• McHale's Navy — Lt. Sakawa
• The Gallant Men
• The Lloyd Bridges Show — Akai Takahashi
• 1959Never So Few — Soldier in Hospital
• 77 Sunset Strip — Ito Nakayama
• Black Sash — Master Li

Appearances as themselves (3)

• 2006The Slanted Screen — Himself
• 2001Harsh Canvas: The Art & Life of Henry Sugimoto — Self - Voice of Henry Sugimoto
• Tony Awards — Self - Nominee / Performer