If anyone deserves an Order of Culture, it’s-a-him.

Every year, the Japanese holiday of Culture Day is observed on 3 November. This is also the day that the Emperor of Japan bestows the Order of Culture on selected citizens who made significant contributions to Japanese culture. These include researchers, leaders of industry, artists, doctors, and more.

And when it comes to people who made an impact on Japanese culture, I doubt there’s anyone who’d disagree that Shigeru Miyamoto belongs in that group. After creating one of the most influential games of its time, Donkey Kong, in 1983, he played a critical role in revitalizing the slumping global video game industry with Japan at its center through Super Mario Bros. in 1985, creating both a revolutionary style of game and iconic characters that would thrive for the next 40 years. And everything he’s done since then, such as contributions to classic franchises like Zelda, Mario Kart, Star Fox and Pikmin, is just a ton of thick, sweet icing on the cake.

In honor of this, Miyamoto will be presented the award by Emperor Naruhito at the Imperial Palace alongside seven other recipients, including Kenso Soai, who also won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry this year, and Shunichi Tokura, the composer of Pink Lady’s smash hit “UFO” and the current chair of JASRAC.

In a press conference following the announcement, Miyamoto said, “I am truly happy to have found video games. As a creator, I have just as much fun developing games as the players do playing them. It is a joy to be able to keep doing this.”

He also had the following advice for younger game designers: “I often tell them it is better not to start with a game they’re already a big fan of and find entertaining and just try to tweak it to make it ‘more fun.’ Instead of refining something that already exists, it is much more rewarding to start at the core and ask yourself, ‘Wouldn’t it be interesting if I tried this?’ Then focus your energy on building something from that idea.”

Miyamoto will also be the first person from the gaming industry to have received this honor. After the news broke, there was an outpouring of support and congratulations from people all over Japan in online comments.

“It’s long overdue, but wonderful news. Mario and Zelda are beloved not just in Japan but all over the world.”
“I make recipes but was happy to hear he feels the same joy in his work and always thinks ‘Wouldn’t this be interesting?’ like I do.”
“Even as the game market has grown to a huge scale, Mario and Zelda continue to rank among the top-sellers. He is a person who shaped countless lives all over the world.”
“His work influenced our youths, the way we spent time with our family, and some of our unforgettable memories.”
“Miyamoto never pandered to trends and always asked himself if his creations made people feel something.”
“When he started out, video games were seen negatively. Now, his characters have appeared at the Olympics!”
“I remember being completely hooked on Donkey Kong. I tried the famous shortcut trick over and over but could never do it!”
“Paul McCartney even asked for Miyamoto’s autograph when they met and greeted him by singing the Super Mario song.”

Speaking of Paul McCartney, it’d probably be fair to say that the next person from the game industry who should get an Order of Culture is none other than Koji Kondo, whose scores for Super Mario Bros. and Zelda were just as impactful and enduring as the games themselves.

Source: TBS News Dig, Yahoo! Japan News
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