Legendary Nintendo designer Shigeru Miyamoto will receive Japan’s highest honor for cultural merit next month. The 73-year old is the first video game developer to receive the Order of Culture, which is presented by the Emperor of Japan.
“I feel incredibly awkward but truly honored to be selected for such a prestigious award,” Miyamoto told the press on October 23. “As I often point out, I don’t create games on my own. This award is the result of working together with a great number of people, so I will accept it on their behalf.”
“Recently, I’ve been privileged to work with people from many different fields, not just games,” he added, referencing Super Nintendo World attractions at Universal Studios and films like The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. “I’d like to share the joy of this award with everyone.”
Miyamoto is currently Nintendo’s Executive Fellow and Representative Director. He joined the company in 1977, playing a pivotal and formative role in Nintendo’s move towards making video games. While most famous for creating the Mario series (with the iconic Nintendo mascot’s first appearance in 1981’s Donkey Kong), Miyamoto also played key roles in the development of other major Nintendo franchises including The Legend of Zelda and Star Fox.
“50 years ago, I became involved in video games, a medium whose form was still very undefined, and I have been fortunate to continue in this line of work ever since.” Miyamoto said. “I feel like it’s precisely because I’ve been here since the dawn of the industry that I’m being honored in this way, and think I have been incredibly lucky in life.”
Japan’s Order of Culture, as the name suggests, is awarded to individuals deemed to have made outstanding contributions to the development of culture. It covers a broad scope, from the sciences to literature and the arts. Previous well-known recipients include film director Akira Kurosawa, fashion designer Issey Miyake, and Godzilla composer Akira Ifukube.
The Emperor of Japan will present Miyamoto and the other seven recipients with their Order of Culture awards. Like in previous years, the ceremony will be held on November 3, Japan’s Culture Day national holiday.
Photo by Kevin Winter/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images.
Verity Townsend is a Japan-based freelance writer who previously served as editor, contributor and translator for the game news site Automaton West. She has also written about Japanese culture and movies for various publications.