Between those who create an object and those who use it;
between the user and the object;
or between an object and its surrounding environment.
Behind every excellent design lies a two-way relationship.
When we reexamine the relationships surrounding an object,
the creator’s care and the user’s imagination resonate with one another.
Seek out hidden possibilities and fresh insight
in the new “maai” —the space between— that emerges from this exchange.
Taking “dialogue” as your starting point,
expand the possibilities in how we live, learn, and work.
We look forward to the design that emerges from you.
between the user and the object;
or between an object and its surrounding environment.
Behind every excellent design lies a two-way relationship.
When we reexamine the relationships surrounding an object,
the creator’s care and the user’s imagination resonate with one another.
Seek out hidden possibilities and fresh insight
in the new “maai” —the space between— that emerges from this exchange.
Taking “dialogue” as your starting point,
expand the possibilities in how we live, learn, and work.
We look forward to the design that emerges from you.
NEWS
NEWJuly 27, 2026
NEWJuly 27, 2026
NEWJuly 24, 2026
WHAT IS
THE KOKUYO DESIGN AWARD?
KOKUYO DESIGN AWARD is an international competition for product
design
that aims to co-create with talented designers
and support their activities.
Since its establishment, excellent product designs have been
selected
from entries that represent current social conditions,
and award-winning works have been turned into commercial products
through co-creation between KOKUYO developers and the award
winners.
By delivering designs to the world that breathe new life
into the tools we regularly use in our daily lives and at work
as reliable products, KOKUYO aims to support the future activities
of designers
and at the same time, bring you a tomorrow you can't
wait for.
More than 25 years have passed since the founding of the award,
and more than 20 products have been created to date.
It is continuing to evolve as a project that conveys value reflecting the times,
and not simply as something to be selected and awarded.
JUDGES
Shogo Kishino
Art Director and Graphic Designer
Gen Suzuki
Product Designer
Nao Tamura
Designer
Kunihiko Morinaga
ANREALAGE / Designer
Satoshi Yoshiizumi
Principal of TAKT PROJECT Inc. / Designer
