NEW GENERATION AWARD
The New Generation Award was established to encourage the young generation who will lead the next age to challenge themselves. Works submitted by students to the KOKUYO DESIGN AWARD 2026 are judged based not on whether they can be commercialized, but on whether they have appealing ideas and viewpoints.
New Generation Award
- title
- Eraser Drops
- creator
- Saki Biwahara, Noi Fumiyama, Keiichiro Yamada, Yurina Yokoi, Keita Yoshimura
Description
That blood-curdling panic you feel when you realize you forgot your eraser right before an exam. Wanting to relieve those small everyday crises with the same quiet warmth as finding a piece of candy at the bottom of your bag, I designed these "Eraser Drops." By packaging each piece individually, they can be slipped into a bag as a good-luck charm or shared with a friend along with a short message. The design goes beyond functionality, embracing the chain reaction of mutual support and kindness that grows from these simple acts.
Evaluation Comments
I was attracted to the idea of using personal experiences as a starting point to bring out kindness and consideration in people through products. It reminds me of my daughter, who is preparing for entrance exams, and her friends encouraging each other, and I can naturally imagine a scene in which it would be used. I thought it was an amazing work that embodied the idea of "something you'd be happy to have," quietly giving the person who holds it a sense of positive energy.
- title
- Xterminotes
- creator
- Ma Kwan Lam
Description
More animals are becoming endangered, including the polar bear. "Xterminotes" tells this story through its pages. It begins with a healthy polar bear, but as you turn each page, the bear grows thinner until it eventually disappears. Each page flip resonates with the fragile line between human activity and the survival of other lives, challenging the conventional understanding of what a notebook can be, but also a subtle educational medium.
Evaluation Comments
The method of conveying the loss of life and diversity due to global warming through an analog flip book is simple and brilliant. By putting messages into a familiar tool, the notebook, I feel there is a possibility that it could change the awareness and behavior of those who use it and contribute to "creating a warm world that cherishes life." I thought it was an idea that would resonate with people of all ages.
- title
- Trace of time
- creator
- Ma Kwan Lam
Description
Most calendars show time all at once. Trace of time begins quietly, with blank pages. The numbers are pressed into the paper, waiting in silence — unseen until you choose to fill them. I believe time itself is hidden in this silence. Each day only appears when you decide to mark it, encouraging us to treasure the present and shape the future with intention.
Evaluation Comments
The idea of perceiving time as "something to be waited for" is refreshing. The system of starting with a blank space and then filling in the blanks to reveal a day tells us how to actively approach time. The design, which works on the user's inner self through the very act of using it, resonates with our concept of experience and I thought it was a very thoughtful work.
- title
- hiraganabi
- creator
- Akari Sugi
Description
"Hiraganabi" is an educational toy in which a ball rolls along paths that follow the stroke order of hiragana. By watching the movement of the ball with their eyes, children can naturally become familiar with correct stroke order through play. Moments of surprise and discovery such as "How is this connected?" spark children's imagination and curiosity, creating a new experience where playing and learning come together.
Evaluation Comments
This work evoked the image of a child playing with a white ball, driven purely by curiosity. Children's pure curiosity reminds me how important it is, making discoveries that adults don't have. The expansion to the alphabet and its inclusiveness to anyone who uses it gave me the feeling of excitement of expanding the possibilities for everyone, and the rich possibilities that spread like ripples.
- title
- Drip Note
- creator
- Noie Hirase, Shuto Mogi, Yuto Yamaguchi
Description
Looking back, the things we once thought through are often gone without a trace. Thinking has value not only in its conclusions, but in its process and its hypotheses. Yet when taking notes, there is a tendency to try to make them neat. This work is a thought-visualization notebook that combines memos and notebooks. First, ideas are written freely in the surrounding margins, just as they come to mind. As the thoughts take shape, the key points are written in the inverted triangle at the center. From there, new ideas are born and return again to the margins. Through this cycle, the flow of thought and time are preserved on a single page. This is a notebook designed to capture thinking itself, not just its conclusions.
Evaluation Comments
Spread vague thoughts, images, and dialogue all around, while writing an unshakable core at the center. The central line and surrounding white space encourage thinking from both the perspectives of "summarizing" and "spreading." I was attracted to the expression of the creative process expanding like the universe. This attractive notebook stays close to the user's thoughts and draws out their potential.
- title
- Fleurinê
- creator
- Liu Chia-Yi
Description
"Fleurinê" is more than a seat. It is a "lightweight passport" to escape urban rhythms and reconnect with nature. Whether used among skyscrapers or on a beach, it acts as a portal to serenity. Featuring a rollable fabric and modular frame, this design adapts into a picnic sheet, folding chair, or deck chair, guiding you toward a destination closer to your heart.
Evaluation Comments
A wonderful product that adds comfort to urban life. I was attracted to the fact that it is not just a tool, but an emotional experience that opens a door to nature the moment you unfold it. The reconfigurable structure that transforms into chairs and seats is particularly outstanding. I thought it was a wonderful work that gently creates a connection with nature in any location and touches the hearts of those who use it.
- title
- Ambient Clock
- creator
- Tatsuru Sugie
Description
I like the unique atmosphere and mood that can only be experienced at certain times, such as early morning and dusk. "Ambient Clock" is a clock that displays the atmosphere and mood of the time using colors. The colors on display shift seamlessly as time passes. Even at the same time of day, brightness and temperature vary with the seasons, and the atmosphere created by those changes is reflected on the clock as colors. By perceiving the time through colors rather than specific numbers, it brings a sense of calm to people in the modern world who are constantly pressed for time.
Evaluation Comments
I was shocked by this work, which overturns the concept that a clock is something that accurately shows time. In the busy daily lives where we do not have time to look up at the sky, this watch reminds me of the blue of the sky and the beauty of the sunset. I felt that this was a wonderful work that gives users a sense of ease by expressing time with the color of the sky rather than numbers.
- title
- Fingerspelling Clip
- creator
- Nanako Omoto
Description
These clips are inspired by "finger spelling," which represents the fifty sounds of the Japanese syllabary using finger shapes. Finger spelling is a basic form of expression in sign language that enables simple conversation and communication. By incorporating it into everyday stationery, the design aims to encourage interest in and familiarity with sign language. Elements of finger spelling have been added to conventional clips, giving them a shape that clearly indicates the correct orientation. Different colors are used for each row, allowing the distinctions between characters to be recognized intuitively. Rather than treating sign language as something separate or special, the design is intended to create a natural opportunity for people to encounter it.
Evaluation Comments
I remembered fondly how I used to bend paper clips into heart shapes back in my student days. It excites me to see how tools for organizing paper are evolving into something called "finger letters," creating new value. I thought the colorful finger letters stimulate curiosity, make sign language more familiar, and give a glimpse into a warm future that connects people.
- title
- Echoes of Done
- creator
- Chen Zifan, Gao Keran
Description
Turn every completed task and every message sent into one small, beautiful ritual. We believe that small moments of happiness in everyday life can create great strength. Peeling off one sticky note feels like completing a task and being rewarded with a gold star. That feeling gives people a positive boost in both learning and work.
Evaluation Comments
When we complete our daily tasks, we tend to just cross off what we have done. This work made me realize the preciousness of adding a "perfect score" to such moments. Even if the detailed memories fade, the warm proof of hard work remains. The scene was incredibly beautiful and I thought it was a wonderful idea that deeply resonated with me.
- title
- Polishing Eraser
- creator
- Shoma Mori, Shotaro Togo
Description
An eraser loses its value each time it loses a corner. The polishing eraser redefines the act of "wearing away" not as a loss of value, but as a "moment of discovery" in which new value is created. The motif is sedimentary rock, formed over vast stretches of time. With each erasure of a mistake, the eraser is polished further, becoming more beautiful. This is a new creative tool that affirms the very process of trial and error.
Evaluation Comments
I was amazed by this Copernican revolutionary idea that overturned the common sense that "the value of an eraser lies in its corners," discovering new value by polishing it into a round shape. The process of evolving into different forms depending on the user seems to foster a deep affection for the tool. I thought it was a wonderful idea that taught us new joys free from existing concepts.