Zelda and Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto is first dev to receive Japan’s greatest cultural award
Shigeru Miyamoto, the Nintendo designer behind the Mario and Zelda series, has become the first video game developer to receive Japan’s Person of Cultural Merit award. The honour recognises his influence on Japanese culture and the global reach of video games.
Miyamoto said the achievements were the work of Nintendo as a whole, rather than one person. The award places game development among the fields recognised for significant contributions to Japanese culture.
In short
- Miyamoto is the first game developer to receive the award.
- Japan honoured his cultural contribution through video games.
- He credited Nintendo’s wider team for the achievements.