Shigeru Miyamoto, the Nintendo veteran behind Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, and Donkey Kong, has been selected to receive Japan’s Order of Culture, becoming the first person from the video game industry to receive the prestigious honor. The selection recognizes a career that has helped shape video games into a global cultural force.
Miyamoto, 73, is one of eight recipients selected for the 2026 award. Japan’s Order of Culture recognizes outstanding contributions to the country’s culture and is among its most significant cultural honors. Emperor Naruhito is scheduled to present the award at the Imperial Palace on November 3, Japan’s annual Culture Day. The announcement was discussed at a press conference at Nintendo’s headquarters in Kyoto. Miyamoto expressed gratitude for the recognition but emphasized that his achievements were the result of collaboration rather than individual effort. He accepted the honor on behalf of the many colleagues who had worked alongside him throughout his career.
Miyamoto joined Nintendo in 1977 after studying industrial design. His early success with Donkey Kong in 1981 helped establish Nintendo as a major force in arcade gaming and introduced the character who would become Mario. He went on to play a defining creative role in the Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda franchises, influencing generations of game designers. His work has extended beyond consoles. Miyamoto served as a producer on The Super Mario Bros. Movie, helping bring Nintendo’s characters to a wider audience through film. His career illustrates how video game characters and worlds can become enduring parts of popular culture, reaching audiences well beyond the games themselves. Miyamoto’s selection also builds on earlier recognition. In 2019, he was named a Person of Cultural Merit, a separate Japanese distinction. The Order of Culture selection marks another milestone, recognizing a video game creator at the highest level of Japan’s cultural honors.
The award carries significance beyond Miyamoto’s personal achievements. Video games combine visual design, music, storytelling, technology, and interactive experiences, yet their place within traditional cultural institutions has not always matched their global influence. By selecting Miyamoto, Japan is formally recognizing a creator whose work has helped define the country’s cultural exports for decades. His decision to credit his collaborators also reflects the reality of modern game development, where artists, programmers, designers, writers, composers, and many others contribute to a shared creative vision. The honor does not change the history of video games, but it marks an important moment in how that history is recognized. For Miyamoto and the teams behind Nintendo’s most enduring franchises, the November ceremony will celebrate not only a celebrated creator, but also the creative work of an industry that has become an influential part of contemporary culture.
