Shigeru Miyamoto, the legendary figure behind Nintendo franchises such as Mario and The Legend of Zelda, has been named the first-ever video game-related recipient of Japan’s Order of Culture. On Friday, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology announced that Miyamoto, 73, will be the newest awardee of the honor as yet reserved for accomplished individuals in the fields of art, literature, science and technology. Since his start as an entry-level employee at Nintendo in 1977, Miyamoto has become a foundational figure in the Kyoto-based video game giant.
His credits range from arcade successes like 1981’s “Donkey Kong” — the debut of the now-beloved Mario character — and home console hits like “The Legend of Zelda,” as well as modern film blockbusters. During Miyamoto’s tenure with Nintendo, the gaming company has grown to become not only the leading figure in Japanese video games, but a household name across the globe. He was a key creative figure behind the Mario franchise; as a co-director for 1983’s side-scrolling “Mario Bros.,” Miyamoto helped establish Nintendo’s foothold in North America following that market’s crash in the early 1980s.
A native of Kyoto Prefecture, Miyamoto drew on his childhood playing in Japan’s rural countryside as inspiration for 1986’s action-adventure game “The Legend of Zelda,” which he co-created and designed. He also served as a producer for 1998’s “The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time,” the series’ first title to switch from a 2D, top-down perspective to a 3D, third-person view, which helped cement conventions now commonplace in gaming. In recent years, Miyamoto has been instrumental not only as a game developer, but also as a figure in Nintendo’s push beyond home consoles.
He was a producer for both 2023’s “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” which grossed more than $1.3 billion worldwide, and 2026’s “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” which has grossed more than $1 billion since its April release. Miyamoto also serves as a producer on the upcoming “The Legend of Zelda” movie, which is set for an April 30, 2027, release.
The Order of Culture award is set to be officially conferred upon Miyamoto by Emperor Naruhito on Nov. 3, a national holiday in Japan known as Culture Day.
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