Gekidan Shachi is a Taishu Engeki theatre group founded by Asahi Seiji born in the Kanagawa Region, south of Tokyo. Asahi Seiji (pictured right) is a performer who built his reputation through strong, masculine storytelling such as matatabi Outlaw stories and sword-fighting dramas. In 2016, Asahi’s eldest son, Kabuto Shishimaru (pictured left) was officially granted the title of Young Leader, marking the important point of a Taishu Engeki group’s timeline where veteran actors begin to more heavily collaborate with young, rising actors in attempt to “pass the torch” to the next generation of performers.

Gekidan Shachi goes by the nickname “The Gang of Taishu Engeki”, and leans towards a strong, modern, and energetic performance, blending themes from outlaw and crime dramas in their plays and dance shows. Gekidan Shachi also has 2 child performers not pictured, (1) Baby Ayano and (2) Onigiri Aomaru, who will occasionally enter the stage as they build their skills from a young age.