Deaflympics ‘Cheer Signs’  Video Projected onto Tokyo Government Building; Film Features Signs Developed with Participation of Deaflympic Athlete Maki Yamada

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:12 JST, November 6, 2025

A 15-second video showcasing “Cheer Signs” — a newly developed method of using gestures to cheer for deaf athletes — is now being shown via projection mapping on the wall of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku Ward, in advance of the Nov. 15 opening of the Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics.

The video depicts spectators showing support for Deaflympic athlete Maki Yamada by fluttering their hands near their ears before thrusting them forward, making the “Go!” sign.

Yamada, who is set to appear in the men’s 400-meter athletics competition at the Tokyo Deaflympics, was involved in the development of the Cheer Signs.

The video will be shown 18 times a day until Nov. 26, the final day of the Games.

“We hope [the display] will encourage tourists, both domestic and international, to watch the games,” said a Tokyo Metropolitan Government official.