Lead: Japan’s government has named Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto a recipient of the Order of Culture, and the Shigeru Miyamoto Order of Culture selection makes him the first person from the video game industry to receive the country’s top cultural decoration.
What happened with the Shigeru Miyamoto Order of Culture award
On October 23, 2026, the Japanese government announced its eight Order of Culture recipients for the 2026 fiscal year, according to Jiji Press and NHK. Miyamoto, 73, is listed as a representative director and fellow at Nintendo, and Jiji notes he is the first game-industry figure ever selected. The other honorees this year include architect Toyo Ito, lighting designer Motoko Ishii, and composer and former Agency for Cultural Affairs commissioner Shunichi Tokura, alongside scientists from chemistry, immunology, and biology.
Miyamoto spoke to reporters at Nintendo’s headquarters in Kyoto the same day. Both Anime News Network and IGN report that he framed the award as a shared one, crediting the many collaborators behind every game; IGN’s translation has him saying, “I don’t create games on my own.” He also tied the moment to his roughly 50 years in the medium, pointing to recent work outside games such as Super Nintendo World and the Mario films.
The decoration itself will be conferred by the Emperor at the Imperial Palace on November 3, Japan’s Culture Day. Miyamoto was previously named a Person of Cultural Merit in 2019, a separate honor that typically precedes the Order of Culture.
There is an anime angle in this year’s list, too. Jiji reports that director Rintaro, known for the Galaxy Express 999 film, is among the 21 new Persons of Cultural Merit, whose ceremony is set for November 4 in Tokyo.
Why it matters
The Order of Culture has historically gone to novelists, painters, film directors, architects, and Nobel-level scientists. Past recipients cited by IGN include Akira Kurosawa, Issey Miyake, and Godzilla composer Akira Ifukube. Putting a game designer on that list is the Japanese state saying, in its most formal register, that video games are culture on the same footing as cinema and fine art. That is a bigger statement than any lifetime achievement trophy from an industry body.
It is also a fitting choice. Miyamoto joined Nintendo in 1977 and shaped Donkey Kong, Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Star Fox, and Pikmin, plus the design thinking behind the Wii. For anyone who draws characters, his work is a masterclass in readable silhouettes: Mario’s cap, mustache, and overalls were born partly from the limits of tiny sprites, and they still define how a mascot should read at a glance. Few designers have influenced visual character language across both games and animation as directly.
The timing is notable as well. With Super Nintendo World and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie both name-checked in his own remarks, and Nintendo leaning hard into parks and film, Miyamoto has become the bridge between Nintendo’s game studios and its wider entertainment push. Japan’s honor lands squarely on that transmedia legacy, not just on the games of the 1980s.
What we know vs what is rumored
- Confirmed: Miyamoto is one of eight 2026 Order of Culture recipients and the first from the game industry, per Jiji Press, NHK, Anime News Network, and IGN.
- Confirmed: the Emperor will present the award on November 3, and Miyamoto addressed the press in Kyoto on October 23.
- Confirmed: anime director Rintaro is among this year’s Persons of Cultural Merit, per Jiji Press.
- Unconfirmed: none material. Note that outlets describe Miyamoto’s current Nintendo title slightly differently (Creative Fellow, Executive Fellow, or Representative Director and Fellow); all agree he remains a Nintendo representative director.
What happens next
The formal conferment ceremony takes place at the Imperial Palace on November 3, with the Persons of Cultural Merit ceremony following on November 4. Expect Nintendo and Japanese broadcasters to share footage or statements around Culture Day. Miyamoto turns 74 on November 16, and his next big public milestone is likely to be tied to Nintendo’s film and theme park plans rather than a new game reveal. We will update if Nintendo issues its own statement.
Sources: Jiji Press — 宮本茂さんら８人文化勲章 「マリオ」生みの親、ゲーム界初 · Anime News Network — Shigeru Miyamoto Becomes 1st Game Creator to be Honored With Japan’s Order of Culture Award · IGN — Nintendo Legend Shigeru Miyamoto Becomes First Game Designer to Be Awarded Japan’s Order of Culture