The Winners of the KOKUYO DESIGN AWARD 2026 Have Been Chosen

Apr 2, 2026 | Award, News

Home > News & Insights > The Winners of the KOKUYO DESIGN AWARD 2026 Have Been Chosen

The theme for the competition was "HAMON Design that Resonates" and out of 1,344 entries from Japan and overseas,Hiroki Kannari's "Before Note" was chosen to receive the Grand Prix.

The KOKUYO DESIGN AWARD design award is an international product design competition held by KOKUYO CO., LTD. (head office: Osaka City, president: Hidekuni Kuroda) with the aim of supporting talented designers and co-creating with them. Holding its final judging today, the KOKUYO DESIGN AWARD 2026 chose one winner for the Grand Prix and three for Merit Awards.

Now in its 23rd year, the "KOKUYO DESIGN AWARD 2026" adopted the theme "HAMON Design that Resonates," exploring ideas born from personal experiences and examining them from various angles to envision future standards. We called for product designs that would make a splash.

Entries were accepted from July 25 to October 8, 2025, and a total of 1,344 were received from 60 countries and regions (785 from Japan and 559 from overseas).

In the final judging, the judges saw presentations and models for the ten entries that had made it through the second round of judging and patent search last November. They then had a final deliberation session to decide on the award-winners.

1．Details on Winning Entries

Grand Prix (1 design)

	Design name：Before Note General name：Notebook Design overview：A bundle of inner pages that have been glued and backed. By having users choose the quantity and cover design, and returning to the form just before it becomes a notebook, I envisioned a product that embraces both mass production and personalization. Especially in this age of accelerating diversification and abundance of goods, I hope this proposal will be meaningful not only for users, but also for makers and sellers. Award winner/Group name：Hiroki Kannari

Design name：Before Note

General name：Notebook

Design overview：A bundle of inner pages that have been glued and backed. By having users choose the quantity and cover design, and returning to the form just before it becomes a notebook, I envisioned a product that embraces both mass production and personalization. Especially in this age of accelerating diversification and abundance of goods, I hope this proposal will be meaningful not only for users, but also for makers and sellers.

Award winner/Group name：Hiroki Kannari

Merit Award (3 designs)

	Design name：gram General name：Pen Design overview：When I picked up a model of my long-used pen that had the same shape but different materials, I felt a slight sense of unfamiliarity. It turned out to be only a few grams in weight. The "gram" pen series delicately adjusts weight alone without changing shapes or materials. The comfort of writing is not uniform, and the difference in comfort or unfamiliarity caused by a few grams is a sensation many people feel unconsciously. By focusing solely on weight, you will experience a silent emergence of sensations that you were not even aware of. Award winner/Group name：Takashi Higashide

Design name：gram

General name：Pen

Design overview：When I picked up a model of my long-used pen that had the same shape but different materials, I felt a slight sense of unfamiliarity. It turned out to be only a few grams in weight. The "gram" pen series delicately adjusts weight alone without changing shapes or materials. The comfort of writing is not uniform, and the difference in comfort or unfamiliarity caused by a few grams is a sensation many people feel unconsciously. By focusing solely on weight, you will experience a silent emergence of sensations that you were not even aware of.

Award winner/Group name：Takashi Higashide

	Design name：Notebooks Identified by Edges General name：Notebook Design overview：This pure white notebook series features colored edges on the cover, meeting the need to "distinguish yet coordinate." The subtle and understated color scheme of the edges makes each notebook easily distinguishable, while its simple look brings a beautiful sense of unity to desks and bookshelves. Also, since only the edges are colored and not the entire cover, less ink is used which contributes to reducing environmental impact. This stripped-down notebook quietly organizes your field of vision and encourages you to focus on your studies and creations. Award winner/Group name：Yuji Tsukamoto

Design name：Notebooks Identified by Edges

General name：Notebook

Design overview：This pure white notebook series features colored edges on the cover, meeting the need to "distinguish yet coordinate." The subtle and understated color scheme of the edges makes each notebook easily distinguishable, while its simple look brings a beautiful sense of unity to desks and bookshelves. Also, since only the edges are colored and not the entire cover, less ink is used which contributes to reducing environmental impact. This stripped-down notebook quietly organizes your field of vision and encourages you to focus on your studies and creations.

Award winner/Group name：Yuji Tsukamoto

	Design name：Gradience Diary General name：Diary / Planner Design overview：While the amount of scheduled tasks varies from day to day and some tasks might span multiple days, conventional planners consist of uniformly sized squares and days are clearly separated by lines. We questioned the way such planners are designed, so we created the "Gradience Diary." This planner has no lines, and each day is separated only by a gradient of white and gray. The writer can decide the size of each square based on the amount of tasks, and can write down schedules spanning multiple days while retaining a sense of continuity. Award winner/Group name：Mizuki Igarashi　Rara Takizawa

Design name：Gradience Diary

General name：Diary / Planner

Design overview：While the amount of scheduled tasks varies from day to day and some tasks might span multiple days, conventional planners consist of uniformly sized squares and days are clearly separated by lines. We questioned the way such planners are designed, so we created the "Gradience Diary." This planner has no lines, and each day is separated only by a gradient of white and gray. The writer can decide the size of each square based on the amount of tasks, and can write down schedules spanning multiple days while retaining a sense of continuity.

Award winner/Group name：Mizuki Igarashi　Rara Takizawa

Note:The design titles, general item names, design overviews, and winner/group names are as written on the entry sheets.

Note:For other finalist entries, please visit the KOKUYO Design Award website.
https://www.kokuyo.com/en/award/archive/prizepast/2026/

2．Details on Trophies and Certificates of Commendation

The trophies awarded to the Grand Prix and Excellence Prize winners encapsulate the ripples created by throwing a stone into water. The ripples that gently emerge as the viewing angle changes represent the way ideas begin to spread from the micro level of the individual to the macro level of society.

The certificates awarded to the finalists each feature a stone as the main visual, with a differing unique design for every piece, symbolizing the diversity of the finalists.

3．About the KOKUYO DESIGN AWARD

The KOKUYO DESIGN AWARD is one of the most renowned and historic product design competitions in Japan. It was established by KOKUYO back in 2002, and this year's competition marks its 23nd outing.

Besides setting themes that mirror the times and then selecting the most outstanding product designs among all those entered in response every year, we have also been productizing the winning designs through co-creation between the award winners themselves and KOKUYO's product developers. So far, over 20 product designs have been productized. By taking designs that breathe new life into tools that are a familiar part of our lives at home and at work, and offering them to the world as soundly developed products, we aim to give their designers a boost for their future activities, and at the same time, achieve our purpose, "Bringing you a tomorrow you can't wait for."

4．Profiles of KOKUYO DESIGN AWARD 2026 Judges

	Shogo Kishino Representative of 6D-K / Art Director and Graphic Designer Born in 1975 in Tachikawa City, Tokyo. Shogo Kishino established the graphic design studio 6D in 2007. He mainly works on the visual identity for companies and products, as well as logos, package designs, and sign design for a wide range of spaces. His major awards include the D&AD award, the Cannes Award, the One Show Award, the Design for Asia Award, the ADC Award, the JAGDA Award, the Japan Package Design Award, the Sign Design Award, and many other awards both in Japan and abroad.

Shogo Kishino

Representative of 6D-K / Art Director and Graphic Designer

Born in 1975 in Tachikawa City, Tokyo. Shogo Kishino established the graphic design studio 6D in 2007.

He mainly works on the visual identity for companies and products, as well as logos, package designs, and sign design for a wide range of spaces.

His major awards include the D&AD award, the Cannes Award, the One Show Award, the Design for Asia Award, the ADC Award, the JAGDA Award, the Japan Package Design Award, the Sign Design Award, and many other awards both in Japan and abroad.

	Nao Tamura Designer Nao Tamura is a designer. After studying communication design at Parsons School of Design, she worked for Smart Design (U.S.), which specializes in industrial design, and she became independent. Currently based in New York, she is active in a wide range of activities from products to installation and space design. Her works have been exhibited in a wide range of venues, from the Palais De Tokyo museum in Paris to the Salone del Mobile.Milano in Milan, Italy. She has won numerous international awards.

Nao Tamura

Designer

Nao Tamura is a designer. After studying communication design at Parsons School of Design, she worked for Smart Design (U.S.), which specializes in industrial design, and she became independent. Currently based in New York, she is active in a wide range of activities from products to installation and space design. Her works have been exhibited in a wide range of venues, from the Palais De Tokyo museum in Paris to the Salone del Mobile.Milano in Milan, Italy. She has won numerous international awards.

	Kunihiko Morinaga ANREALAGE / Designer Designer of the fashion brand "ANREALAGE." Born in 1980 in Kunitachi, Tokyo. Graduated from the School of Social Sciences, Waseda University. Began making clothing while attending Vantan Design Institute during university. Launched the brand "ANREALAGE" in 2003, and debuted at Paris Fashion Week from 2014. Selected as a finalist for the LVMH PRIZE in France in 2019, and received the 37th Mainichi Fashion Grand Prix in the same year. In 2020, presented a collaboration with Italy's FENDI at Milan Fashion Week. Designed the official uniform for the Japan Pavilion at Expo 2021 Dubai, and designed stage costumes for Beyoncé's world tour in 2023 and 2025. Launched the Men's label "anrealage homme" in 2024.

Kunihiko Morinaga

ANREALAGE / Designer

Designer of the fashion brand "ANREALAGE." Born in 1980 in Kunitachi, Tokyo. Graduated from the School of Social Sciences, Waseda University. Began making clothing while attending Vantan Design Institute during university. Launched the brand "ANREALAGE" in 2003, and debuted at Paris Fashion Week from 2014. Selected as a finalist for the LVMH PRIZE in France in 2019, and received the 37th Mainichi Fashion Grand Prix in the same year. In 2020, presented a collaboration with Italy's FENDI at Milan Fashion Week. Designed the official uniform for the Japan Pavilion at Expo 2021 Dubai, and designed stage costumes for Beyoncé's world tour in 2023 and 2025. Launched the Men's label "anrealage homme" in 2024.

	Teruhiro Yanagihara Teruhiro Yanagihara Studio / Designer A designer operating the studio and gallery "VAGUE" in Kobe and Arles, France, and engaging in cross-border, cross-genre projects throughout Japan, France, the UK, the Netherlands, and Taiwan. Provides comprehensive proposals in interior design, product design, creative direction, and art direction.

Teruhiro Yanagihara

Teruhiro Yanagihara Studio / Designer

A designer operating the studio and gallery "VAGUE" in Kobe and Arles, France, and engaging in cross-border, cross-genre projects throughout Japan, France, the UK, the Netherlands, and Taiwan. Provides comprehensive proposals in interior design, product design, creative direction, and art direction.

	Satoshi Yoshiizumi Principal of TAKT PROJECT Inc. / Designer Satoshi Yoshiizumi conducts experimental independent research projects on "creating different possibilities" through design, and presents and exhibits work as a guest at museums and exhibitions both in Japan and abroad. He rolls out a wide variety of projects with his clients based on the results. His major awards include Dezeen Awards Emerging Designers of the year 2019 (UK), Design Miami/ Basel Swarovski Designers of the Future Award 2017 (Switzerland), FRAME Awards (Netherlands), if Design Award Gold (Germany), Red Dot Design Award (Germany), German Design Award (Germany), and the 25th Kuwasawa Award. Three of his works are featured in the collection of the M+ Museum in Hong Kong. He is also the exhibition director of the 21_21Design Sight special exhibition "Material, or". In 2023, he served as the exhibition director for the 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT exhibition "Material, or."

Satoshi Yoshiizumi

Principal of TAKT PROJECT Inc. / Designer

Satoshi Yoshiizumi conducts experimental independent research projects on "creating different possibilities" through design, and presents and exhibits work as a guest at museums and exhibitions both in Japan and abroad. He rolls out a wide variety of projects with his clients based on the results.

His major awards include Dezeen Awards Emerging Designers of the year 2019 (UK), Design Miami/ Basel Swarovski Designers of the Future Award 2017 (Switzerland), FRAME Awards (Netherlands), if Design Award Gold (Germany), Red Dot Design Award (Germany), German Design Award (Germany), and the 25th Kuwasawa Award. Three of his works are featured in the collection of the M+ Museum in Hong Kong. He is also the exhibition director of the 21_21Design Sight special exhibition "Material, or". In 2023, he served as the exhibition director for the 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT exhibition "Material, or."

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LINE / @kokuyo_da

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