Japanese Literary Awards

← Back to Home

Shigeru Miyamoto

みやもと しげる

Miyamoto Shigeru

Aliases: ミヤホン / MIYAHON / みやほん
Pen Names: Miyahon（Nickname used in early game credits and magazine Q&A columns）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1952-11-16 （Sonobe (Sonobe-cho), Funai District, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan (now Nantan)）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese

Career

Occupations
Game creator, Game producer, Producer, Representative Director & Fellow (Nintendo)
Active Years
1977-
Affiliations
Nintendo Co., Ltd.
Influenced By
Gunpei Yokoi, Osamu Tezuka, Fujio Akatsuka, Sanpei Shirato, Will Wright
Influenced
Hideo Kojima, Mamoru Hosoda, Gen Hoshino, Many game designers and developers worldwide

Education

Kanazawa College of Art
Industrial Design / Department of Industrial Design
Period: 1973-1977
Year of Graduation: 1977
Country: Japan
Majored in industrial design

Awards

Japan Cultural Design Award
1990
Organization: Japan Cultural Design Forum
Result: 受賞
Japan Software Award - MVP
1993
Organization: Japan Software Award Committee
Result: 受賞
Interactive Achievement Awards - Hall of Fame (Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences)
1998
Organization: Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences
Result: Hall of Fame
Golden Joystick Awards - Hall of Fame
2003
Organization: Golden Joystick Awards
Result: 受賞
Game Developers Conference - Walk of Game / Lifetime Achievement
2005
Organization: Game Developers Conference (GDC)
Result: 受賞
Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Chevalier)
2006
Organization: French Ministry of Culture
Result: 受章
BAFTA Fellowship
2010
Organization: British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA)
Result: 受賞
Princess of Asturias Award for Communication & Humanities
2012
Category: コミュニケーションおよびヒューマニズム
Organization: Princess of Asturias Foundation
Result: 受賞
Persons of Cultural Merit
2019
Organization: Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT)
Result: 受賞
GDC - Lifetime Achievement Award
2007
Organization: Game Developers Conference (GDC) / International Game Developers Association (IDGA)
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Donkey Kong

1981 Arcade game

An arcade action game released in 1981 at Nintendo. Miyamoto led character and game design; the title became a global hit and introduced the character who would become Mario.

Early arcade actionCharacter-driven designIntuitive controls
Adaptations
  • [Franchise/media adaptations] Donkey Kong series

Super Mario Bros.

1985 Action-platformer

A side-scrolling action-platformer that established the foundation for Nintendo's flagship series and gained worldwide popularity.

AdventureFocus on controls and feelDeep design from simple rules
Adaptations
  • [Film] The Super Mario Bros. Movie / Aaron Horvath & Michael Jelenic (2023)

The Legend of Zelda

1986 Action-adventure

An action-adventure series emphasizing exploration and puzzles, with open-style fields and dungeons that set the foundation for the franchise.

ExplorationPuzzle-solvingPlayer-driven narrative
Adaptations
  • [TV animation] The Legend of Zelda (animated series) (1989)

Pikmin

2001 Strategy/Simulation (real-time)

Born from inspirations in daily life, the game has players lead small creatures (Pikmin) to explore and collect resources, notable for its unique gameplay feel.

Everyday inspirationTeamworkObservation of nature
Adaptations
  • [Short film] Pikmin Short Movie (2014)

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

2017 Action-adventure / Open-world

An open-world title emphasizing physics, discovery, and player freedom; Miyamoto participated as a general producer.

Open-world explorationDiscovery and physicsPlayer freedom

Bibliography

  • Mario series
  • Donkey Kong series
  • The Legend of Zelda series
  • Pikmin series
  • Star Fox series

Adaptations

  • The Super Mario Bros. Movie
  • Pikmin Short Movie
  • Star Fox Zero: The Battle Begins (short animation)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Playful, intuitive designDesign prioritizing control feel and player interactionApplying 'lateral thinking of matured technology' to solve problems
Recurring Motifs
Ideas drawn from everyday lifeDepth emerging from simple mechanicsMultiplayer and communication elements

Legacy

Shigeru Miyamoto is one of the world's most influential game creators. Through flagship works such as Mario, Zelda, and Pikmin, he helped elevate video games as a cultural medium and made lasting contributions to the industry.

Museums

  • Walk of Game panel (Metreon, San Francisco) Metreon, San Francisco, California, United States Opened in 2005
  • Nintendo Museum Nintendo-related exhibits and corporate archives (various locations)

Academic Societies

  • Japan Cultural Design Forum
  • Digital Media Association (AMD)
  • Agency for Cultural Affairs - Media Arts Festival

Archives

  • Nintendo corporate archives
  • Various media archives (exhibits, award records, etc.)

In Popular Culture

  • Selected among TIME's '60 Asian heroes' and included in TIME 100 lists
  • High-profile appearances at events and shows (tennis match with Spielberg at E3, guest on Jimmy Fallon's show, etc.)

Quotes

  • It is an honor that games are being recognized and put in the spotlight as a genre.
    Source: Comment upon being named a Person of Cultural Merit (2019)
  • An idea is something that solves several problems at once.
    Source: Quoted in interviews / by colleagues (widely cited) (2010)

Trivia

  • He is often noted as being left-handed.
  • Famous anecdote: he played Wii Tennis against Steven Spielberg at E3 2006.
  • The rival name 'Shigeru' ( シゲル ) considered in early Pokémon development was inspired by Miyamoto's name.
  • In 2019 he became the first person from the games industry to be named a Person of Cultural Merit in Japan.