He was at the forefront of the Angura ("underground") theatre movement in Japan.
[1] Makoto Satō was born in Shinjuku, Tokyo, on 23 August 1943.
In 1965, he dropped out of Waseda University to complete Haiyuza Theatre Company's training program.
[2] The troupe staged its early productions in a tiny rented basement beneath a plate glass store, which it promoted as its "Underground Theater" (アンダーグラウンド・シアター, Andāguraundo Shiatā).
"[2] In the late 1960s, the Liberty Theatre merged with several other groups to eventually become the Black Tent Theatre (劇団黒テント, Gekidan Kuro Tento), primarily under Satō's creative direction, which traveled around Japan staging productions in a large black tent and became one of the most successful and profitable Angura troupes.