Ever wonder why the sign for "Hirakata-shi" is expressed the way it is in Japanese Sign Language (JSL)?
It is composed of the sign for chrysanthemum running down the arm and the yubimoji (fingerspelling) shi (which means "city"). Why? Because Hirakata-shi has a famous festival where dolls made from chrysanthemum flowers are displayed. Place signs in JSL often refer to a region's well known products, people or activities. So the sign for Hirakata refers to the chrysanthemum dolls. The 菊 ひらかた フェスティバル (Chrysanthemum Hirakata Festival) will take place from October 27 until November 15 in various locations in the city. Some of the dolls are currently on display at the Keihan Hirakata-shi train station.
For more information about the festival and the dolls, check out the following website (in Japanese). You can click on links in the website and see photos of how the dolls are made. There are also information pamphlets available at the train station with event details.
Link: http://www.eonet.ne.jp/~ryokka/kiku/index.html
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