Shigeru Miyamoto, creator of Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda, has been selected as the first figure from the video game industry to receive Japan’s Order of Culture, which recognizes his contributions to the arts and sciences.
Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of Super Mario, will receive the Order of Culture from Emperor Naruhito.
— Jeffrey J. Hall 🇯🇵🇺🇸 (@mrjeffu) October 23, 2026
It will be first time the Japan has given this award to a video game creator. It's traditionally been given to artists and scholars. pic.twitter.com/Weec7CgKOH
Speaking at a press conference Thursday at Nintendo’s Kyoto headquarters, the game Godfather said he was embarrassed by the individual recognition, noting that he would accept the award on behalf of the many people he has worked with:
“As I always say, I don’t make games by myself. This award is the result of making them together with many people, so I intend to accept it as their representative.”
Mario'nun yaratıcısı Shigeru Miyamoto, Japonya'nın Kültür Nişanı'nı alan ilk oyun sektörü figürü oldu.
— De Marke Gaming (@demarkegaming) October 23, 2026
💭 "Oyunları tek başıma yapmıyorum; bu ödül, onları birçok insanla birlikte yapmanın bir sonucudur." pic.twitter.com/bmDmumarVr
“Recently, in particular, I’ve had the opportunity to work with many people outside games, through projects such as Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan and our film business. I’d like to share the joy of this award with all of them,” Miyamoto added.
Miyamoto joined Nintendo in 1977 and passionately became involved in game development immediately after. He previously won the honor as the first person from the video game industry to be named a Person of Cultural Merit by the Japanese government in 2019.
Emperor Naruhito is scheduled to confer the honor on Culture Day, November 3. The announcement came Friday.
"My greatest joy is watching people play with the things I've created."
— Kabi (@KabiPlays) October 23, 2026
— Shigeru Miyamoto during the Q&A interview for his Order of Culture Award.
Via: https://t.co/PVdGHYMr3h pic.twitter.com/2UFamZgcp9
Presently, the Order of Culture (award) is one of Japan’s highest honors.
In context of history, his honor extends beyond recognizable characters. Miyamoto helped build Donkey Kong, as well as Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda, into major franchises they became. With Super Mario 64, he helped define how 3D games play, and with Wii Sports he played a role inbringing games to wider audiences.
Beyond consoles that work now reaches into theme parks and film. Mario, whom he helped create, was imagined as Italian, with early designs drawing in part on Italian comics. Together that makes him one of the most influential figures in video game history.
Miyamoto has previously said that Italian comics he read when he was young probably influenced Mario’s early design
Among the milestones is 40 years of The Legend of Zelda. Looking back on that run, Miyamoto said it shows how long he has been making games and how much the medium has changed since 1977.
The game legend pointed to the fact that games now belong in everyday life and that the award reflects that broader change, and he believes his recognition also reflects having been present from the earliest days of an industry whose form was not yet defined:
“Having three generations of a family who know games is an enormous thing. I think it shows how deeply games have become part of our lives.”
He added, “I’m very grateful that people are saying, ‘Let’s recognize games as culture too.’ I hope we can keep making things that are always there at the center of the living room,” he added.
