Shigeru Miyamoto, the legendary Nintendo designer who created landmark video game franchises such as Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda, has been named a recipient of Japan’s prestigious Order of Culture, the Japanese government announced.
Miyamoto will become the first game developer in history to receive the honor, which ranks as the country’s highest cultural distinction, domestic media reported. The Emperor of Japan will present the medal in person at a ceremony scheduled for Nov. 3, observed nationwide as Culture Day, according to Automaton and GamesIndustry.biz.
A Historic Cultural Milestone
Established in 1937, the Order of Culture honors individuals who have delivered outstanding contributions to Japanese culture across the realms of art, literature, science and technology. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology selected Miyamoto as one of eight honorees for 2026 under the Media Arts category, specifically recognizing gaming.
Speaking at a news conference held at Nintendo headquarters in Kyoto, Miyamoto expressed gratitude for the recognition while deflecting praise to his colleagues. “I am truly honoured to receive such a prestigious award,” Miyamoto said, according to GamesIndustry.biz. “As I have often said, these achievements were not the work of one person, but the result of collaboration with many others. I accept this honour on their behalf.”
Miyamoto, who serves as a representative director and creative fellow at Nintendo, previously received the government’s Person of Cultural Merit recognition in 2019. The honor comes a year after Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette, reflecting growing institutional respect for gaming as an art form in Japan.
Reflections on Creative Tools and Artificial Intelligence
During the press conference, Miyamoto addressed an array of subjects, including Nintendo’s creative philosophies and the rapid rise of artificial intelligence across the software sector, Polygon reported. While Miyamoto acknowledged that modern tools can lower hurdles for new creators, he offered a measured critique regarding the creative illusions AI might foster.
Drawing parallels to his early career in industrial design, Miyamoto recalled how technological advances shifted the graphic design landscape. In previous decades, tasks such as manual lettering required specialized mechanical training. When computers and word processors arrived, basic layout and text placement became automated, exposing who truly possessed strong design sensibilities.
Miyamoto suggested that relying too heavily on digital shortcuts can deceive creators into overestimating the quality of their output. “This is the tricky part; the work itself is enjoyable,” Miyamoto said, as reported by Polygon. “When you’re working, you get a tremendous sense of satisfaction from ‘creating’ something. But the scary thing is that you become so satisfied with the work that you mistakenly think, ‘I’ve made something pretty good.'”
Miyamoto cautioned that work generated merely by assembling pieces without original insight struggles to endure over time. “There have probably been designs in the past that were created simply by copying and pasting. But those don’t last forever, do they?” he remarked.
Looking ahead, Miyamoto conceded that the ultimate trajectory of artificial intelligence remains unpredictable. However, he emphasized that human agency and deliberate craftsmanship must remain central to entertainment, asserting, “I think there is still plenty we can do.”
