Sho-Gekijo

                       The 1980s also encouraged the creation of the Sho-Gekijo, or literally, little theatre. This usually meant amateur theatrical troupes making plays designed to be seen by anyone and everyone — not necessarily as meaningful in nature as they were simply entertaining. Some of the more philosophical playwrights and directors of that time which are still active today are Noda Hideki, Shōji Kōkami and Keralino Sandorovich (a pen name for a Japanese playwright).

          Popular sho-gekijo theatrical troupes include Nylon 100, Gekidan Shinkansen, Tokyo Sunshine Boys, and Halaholo Shangrila. Recently, new generation of Sho-Gekijo artists who are labeled as the "Generation of the Lost Decade" or the "Generation of 2000s" are emerging. Principal artists among this generation are: Toshiki Okada, Shiro Maeda, Kuro Tanino, Daisuke Miura, Tomohiro Maekawa and so on. In 2011, a fully bilingual book introducing this new generation of artists called Tokyo Theatre Today: Conversations with Eight Emerging Theatre Artists by journalist Kyoko Iwaki has been published.