On October 23, 2026, Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology announced this year's recipients of the Order of Culture. Shigeru Miyamoto, Representative Director and Fellow at Nintendo, was selected in recognition of his long-standing contributions to promoting the global development of the video game industry and interactive entertainment. Miyamoto had previously been honored as a Person of Cultural Merit in 2019.
The day before the official announcement, Nintendo held a one-hour press conference at its Kyoto headquarters. Miyamoto expressed that receiving the award made him feel both shy and honored. Since games are not works that can be created by an individual alone, he stated that he wished to accept the award as a representative of the many co-creators involved.
Reflecting on his nearly 50-year journey since joining Nintendo in 1977, Miyamoto noted that video games have evolved from a new medium with blurred boundaries into a part of everyday culture familiar to three generations. Nintendo's long-term goal is to make interactive entertainment a natural presence in family living rooms.
Miyamoto also mentioned that the Japanese game industry's ability to meticulously polish interfaces, responsiveness, and usability can drive the development of broader interactive products. He had previously worried that movie settings might limit future game creation, but after seeing players' affection for the characters themselves, he moved forward with films and theme parks.
Discussing generative AI, Miyamoto distinguished between conceptualizing intent and completing tasks. He believes that as AI takes on more routine work, creators need to think more deeply about what constitutes true creation. He also advised young developers not to merely remodel existing successes, but to return to the fundamental question of "what would be fun" to establish new gameplay experiences.