Phosphorescence Troupe (燐光群 Rinkōgun) Drawing influence from Yamazaki and fellow playwright
Hirata Oriza, he created his own theater company Phosphorescence Troupe (燐光群
Rinkōgun) in 1983. Along with his plays that reveal commentary on Japanese society, he was also active in the radical
angura movement that flourished in the 1960s. The Phosphorescence Troupe focuses on performing mostly Sakate’s works and plays, and they have been met with positive reviews from outside Japan. In 2007,
The Attic made its first American premiere in
Manhattan,
New York. In
The New York Times, editor
Ginia Bellafante describes Sakate’s language usage in the play as “economical [and] poignant”. In this play, Sakate focuses on the social phenomenon in Japan known as
hikikomori, where young adults withdraw from society and isolate themselves typically in their homes. Other figures that significantly impacted the style of Sakate’s works were European playwrights
Anton Chekhov and
Henrik Ibsen. Sakate has adapted and translated several of Chekhov's works into the
nō style, thus creating his contemporary
nō series. In 2010, these adapted plays were collected into
The Contemporary Nō Collection (現代能楽集
Gendai nōgakushū). Although Chekhov and Ibsen were not part of the
nō style, Sakate took these works and created them to fit the general view of
nō and also making unique adaptations to create his own style. Plays of Chekhov he translated include
The Seagull,
Uncle Vanya,
The Cherry Orchard, and
Three Sisters. ==Themes==