Various toku actors have been attending charity events on Saturday nights at the Sasazuka Factory theatre in Tokyo to launch a new hero called Sasuraido, proceeds of which go to the victims of the last years’ devastating tsunami.

The live stage show, part of the Hello Hero Project run by Omocharity, ran twice everyday in January until it’s last show. The show invites the audience to come on stage and to help and transform into one of the heroes. The Hello Hero Project has various backings from all walks of tokusatsu genre. On Saturday 15th, Teruaki Ogawa(Ninja Red, Bull Black), Keiichi Wada(Ryu Ranger) and Katsuyuki Yamazaki(Ultraseven Evolution actor, pictured above) were in attendance and took photos with fans.

Sasuraido is the silver hero and Samuraido is the red

The show itself contains two heroes, Samuraido is coloured red and Sasuraido, silver. Anyone in the audience can become these henshin heroes to battle the monsters and the cast would invite members of the audience up to strike a pose and shout out to see if they could get it to work. Half the fathers in the room jumped at the chance and dragged their kids on stage to try out with them. Half the audience burst into tears when one of the kids shouted out “mama wo mamoru!“(to protect mummy!).

The last show commenced on Sunday 23rd, the show become a bit more slapstick and improvised when toku stars were invited on stage. Kayoko Shibata(Go Pink), Kazuyoshi Sakai(Gao Black), singer Yukio Yamagata(Gaoranger); who sang the song that day, Nao Nagasawa(Hurricane Blue), Katsuyuki Konishi(Gosei Knight voice actor), Tomokazu Seki (Gokaiger narrator) and once again, Keiichi Wada(Ryu Ranger) attended the final show.

Katsuyuki(Gosei Knight voice actor) on the left and on the right is Tomokazu(Gokaiger narrator)

Henshin Justice got a chance to speak with the various actors, Teruaki Ogawa explained that he was a huge supporter of the cause and one of the main contributors and that a lot of tokusatsu actors help in getting donations, but also have giant toy drives to give to the unfortunate children of affected areas, omocha meaning toy(omacharity). Tomokazu Seki(Gokaigers’ narrator) mentioned that he had visited the devastation and “how it`s much more impacting going up to the affected areas in the north and seeing how hard it is for people up there,
yet so easily forgotten with normal, daily life going on in Tokyo and other areas of Japan that were not hit“. Being part of the charity had really positively effected their lives and they appreciated being able to take part.

Katsuyuki and Tomokazu took part in the show on it’s final performance. Katsuyuki read his lines from a script in Gosei Knights voice, then when the enemy targeted him, he ran off humorously scared. Tomokazu appeared on stage and began to read proudly his lines, but it became apparent that they were the opening song lyrics from Gokaiger.

The heartbreaking charity video for Omocharity

The Hello Hero Project doesn’t end with this theatre production, more is coming and all in the name of charity. I’d imagine readers who have been touched by this article would like the opportunity to contribute to this cause, however at the moment, it’s only open within Japanese borders, but watch this space.