The World Design Assembly TOKYO 2023—which was the first World Design Assembly to be held in our nation in 35 years—drew global attention to Japanese design. Taking advantage of this occasion, we were pleased to announce the 1,549 recipients of the GOOD DESIGN AWARD. Of those, the top winners in each field were selected for the Best 100 as well as various Special Awards. I extend my sincere congratulations to all the award recipients.

The award-winning entries seem to have powerful designs which, when we look back upon them in the future, would epitomize a turning point that created a new era. I express my deep appreciation to the members of the Judging Committee, who took their time to carefully analyze the stories, thoughts, and potential behind each design.

This year, we also tried several new approaches. The Chair and Vice Chair of the Judging Committee conducted several discussions with committee members to understand trends and determine what we call “Focused Issues.” We will continue to work on verbalizing the details of Focused Issues, which we hope will impact the future of design. We also spent more time carefully selecting the recipients of the Long Life Design Award, which we consider the highest accolade for beloved designs that have been continuously improved over time.

The forthcoming award exhibition will be the first time in four years that all the winners of the latest awards are presented. I hope that many visitors will come and experience the power of design.

Our world currently faces many issues, from global warming and international conflicts to problems related to food and resources. By showcasing the beauty and strength of the latest GOOD DESIGN AWARD recipients, I hope we can inspire others and help make the world a better place.

Let me offer my most sincere congratulations to all the winners of the GOOD DESIGN AWARD 2023.

This year, we focused on analyzing not only design as an output but also the design creation process and the various philosophies and challenges underlying it across the boundary between things and ideas, based on the theme of “design and its outcome” chosen in line with the start of a new jury system. These aspects became visible at a high resolution during the screening process.

I believe that this year’s award results show how individuals, companies, and organizations involved in design are transcending their differences to strive on the same level toward a common outcome and, even if their paces do not always match, moving step by step to incite a great wave with the potential to transform society for the better.

I hope that examining the winners of this year’s GOOD DESIGN AWARD at a high resolution will serve as a catalyst for many people to think together about how to participate in such a significant activity as design and take collective action.

Congratulations to all the winners of the GOOD DESIGN AWARD.

This year’s theme was “design and its outcome.” The entire jury carefully analyzed the fundamental value imagined by the entries and their creators as well as their diverse perspectives and potential to expand our future and deepened the process so far through discussions. Although the GOOD DESIGN AWARD evaluates various things from products, architecture, and services to initiatives, I feel that regardless of genre, many of the highly rated entries shared both the powerful future vision and meticulous attention to detail of their creators.

In addition to the proactive creative activities of community-based designers and creators, who have made remarkable breakthroughs in recent years, this year saw many excellent examples of new plans and product designs launched by in-house designers. This is a sign that in-house designers are positioned upstream of the development of products and services or approaching that position, and this tendency is sure to further accelerate as the overall trend in manufacturing in the future.

Taking a comprehensive view of each award-winning work while appreciating the ideas with which it was imbued by its creator and looking at the award-winning works on the whole as a creative manifestation of the current social consensus, the GOOD DESIGN AWARD serves as a medium for mirroring society. I hope that this year’s award results will be broadly applied as a trigger to gauge the future.

Congratulations to all the winners of the GOOD DESIGN AWARD.

What made this year’s GOOD DESIGN AWARD so memorable was being able to engage in discussions while posing the simple yet powerful question, “What kind of future can the existence of this design create?” based on the theme of “design and its outcome.” We had such discussions when selecting the BEST 100 as well, and there were sometimes things that astonished me. For me, this was also a year that showcased the characteristics of the GOOD DESIGN AWARD more than ever. I was struck by the words of one foreign jury member, who noted that even though overseas design awards refer more to global issues, the GOOD DESIGN AWARD seems to be especially focused on local issues. In Japan, which is said to suffer from “Galapagos syndrome,” for better or for worse, we methodically dig into the soil at our own feet. The most highly rated entries not only from within Japan but also from overseas were those that carefully examined very niche themes such as regional revitalization, local production for local consumption, and the development of micro-communities.

I hope that this steady approach will shape the future and send a powerful message from the GOOD DESIGN AWARD to Japan and the rest of the world.