About Tokyo International Deaf Arts Festival
The Tokyo International Deaf Arts Festival (TIDAF) is an arts festival with Deaf Japanese individuals at the forefront.
The event was previously the Tokyo International Deaf Film Festival, held every two years in Shibuya, inviting directors and actors from both Japan and overseas. In November 2025, the Tokyo International Deaf Film will move its base to Koenji and begin anew as the Tokyo International Deaf Arts Festival. The festival is scheduled to take place one week before the Deaflympics from Thursday, November 6th to Sunday, November 9th, 2025, over four days.
The arts festival will focus on a variety of performances and films showcasing Deaf/Hard of Hearing experiences and sign language from Japan and abroad. By sharing the perspectives of those who perceive the world visually, the festival aims to contribute to the development of Deaf arts and a flourishing society. Additionally, the creation of open spaces such as the Marché and Fringe Program will provide opportunities for dialogue and communication between Deaf and hearing communities.
The event was previously the Tokyo International Deaf Film Festival, held every two years in Shibuya, inviting directors and actors from both Japan and overseas. In November 2025, the Tokyo International Deaf Film will move its base to Koenji and begin anew as the Tokyo International Deaf Arts Festival. The festival is scheduled to take place one week before the Deaflympics from Thursday, November 6th to Sunday, November 9th, 2025, over four days.
The arts festival will focus on a variety of performances and films showcasing Deaf/Hard of Hearing experiences and sign language from Japan and abroad. By sharing the perspectives of those who perceive the world visually, the festival aims to contribute to the development of Deaf arts and a flourishing society. Additionally, the creation of open spaces such as the Marché and Fringe Program will provide opportunities for dialogue and communication between Deaf and hearing communities.
Behind the Logo
The logo for the Tokyo International Deaf Arts Festival 2025 was created focusing on the physicality and rhythm inherent in sign language.
This logo attempts a new approach by emphasizing that sign language is not only a visual language but also an expression conveyed through the body.
Under the concept of "City of Sign Language," we collaborated with designer Taeko Isu and programmer Yosuke Hayashi to visualize the movements of sign language as motion data, deriving the logo's form from these flows of movement.
By extracting the rhythm and visual beauty within these movements, we created a logo that symbolizes the fusion of sign language's linguistic and artistic qualities.
It is our wish that this logo will become a symbol of the multifaceted appeal and potential of Deaf culture, inspiring greater interest and empathy for sign language and Deaf culture among a wider audience.
This logo attempts a new approach by emphasizing that sign language is not only a visual language but also an expression conveyed through the body.
Under the concept of "City of Sign Language," we collaborated with designer Taeko Isu and programmer Yosuke Hayashi to visualize the movements of sign language as motion data, deriving the logo's form from these flows of movement.
By extracting the rhythm and visual beauty within these movements, we created a logo that symbolizes the fusion of sign language's linguistic and artistic qualities.
It is our wish that this logo will become a symbol of the multifaceted appeal and potential of Deaf culture, inspiring greater interest and empathy for sign language and Deaf culture among a wider audience.
Overall Supervision
Eri Makihara, Executive Director
Art Direction
Sadashi Tokue, Natsumi Wada
Logo Design
Taeko Isu
Programming
Yosuke Hayashi
Special Thanks
Masakazu Arai
Tokyo International Deaf Arts Festival 2025 Partners and Supporters
Main Sponsor
Deaf Arts Society of Japan
Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan
(2025 Project for Promotion of Cultural and Artistic Activities by People with Disabilities)
Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan
(2025 Project for Promotion of Cultural and Artistic Activities by People with Disabilities)
Partnership With
NPO Creative Theatre Network / ZA-KOENJI Public Theatre
Joint Sponsors
Suginami City
Suginami Association for the Deaf
Totto Foundation
NPO Theatre Accessibility Network
IGENGO Lab.
Suginami Association for the Deaf
Totto Foundation
NPO Theatre Accessibility Network
IGENGO Lab.
Supported By
Japan Federation of the Deaf
Tokyo Federation of the Deaf
Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Tokyo
Tokyo Federation of the Deaf
Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Tokyo
Collaboration With
Tokyo Koenji Awa-Odori
Shizuoka x Cannes Film Project
Shizuoka x Cannes Film Project
Grants
Arts Council Tokyo, Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture
[Grant for Artistic City]
[Grant for Artistic City]
Participating Companies, Organizations, and Supporters
Midori Makino / Yumie Nakahama
