A “Design Festa” at which around 3,000 people gathered! 2025 GOOD DESIGN AWARD Celebration

An award celebration that gave “a tangible sense of the future”

The 2025 GOOD DESIGN AWARD Celebration got underway, centering on the giant G Mark Stage set up in Tokyo Garden Theater. First, Hiroshi Naito, chairman of the Japan Institute of Design Promotion, gave the opening address, saying, “AI technologies have evolved and design is now at a crossroads. Against this background, we believe that you will get a tangible sense of the future through the recipients of the GOOD DESIGN AWARD.”

Following on from this was a discussion between the chair and vice-chairs of the judging committee in which they looked back over this year’s screening, saying, “This year was one in which our long-running work received new recognition,” and “I realized the importance not only of admiring new shoots but also of involving everyone to keep going with and sustain these as they continue to evolve with the times.” Finally, they exhorted participants, “Throughout this celebration, please interact with various people, such as people in the same industry or working in the same area, and exchange business cards with them!”

An awards ceremony in which each award winning object was spotlighted

In the Awards Ceremony, the GOOD DESIGN BEST 100 were first introduced, and all the selected winners moved to the central stage. There were scenes of people sharing their joy, such as by taking pictures of the stage from the audience.

Next, during the GOLD AWARD Ceremony, representatives took to the stage one by one to receive their trophies. As this year’s GOLD AWARD winners were selected one from each unit, the unit leader congratulated the winner who was onstage and offered comments on the reasons for the selection and the significance of their designs.

In addition, Our Favorite G Mark, which was selected from among the 20 GOLD AWARD winners, was announced. This award, which is decided by a vote among the visitors to the winners’ exhibition, honors the “most memorable design” from the perspective of the public. This year, Toshimaya Co., Ltd.’s Hato Sable Single Tin Set received 1,137 votes and was chosen with overwhelming support.

This design brings a smile to anyone’s face and gives shape to the dream that “Someday, I want to carry a Hato Sable biscuit around without breaking it.” The moment it was announced, the audience cheered loudly.

The GRAND AWARD trophy was presented as the finale of the Awards Ceremony. This year’s GRAND AWARD went to DLT Timber Temporary Housing by Shigeru Ban Architects, IEMOTO Inc., and M. Hasegawa & Co., Ltd. This year, there was not only a presentation about the award winning object but also a talk session. During the talk, Masahiro Harada, the judge in charge of Housing, said, “This year’s GRAND AWARD showed us that design is of particular use in difficult situations. This was really great. I hope that this initiative will become a model case and that its influence will spread.”

A time to interact, taking pictures and talking to one another

A networking event was held after the award celebration ended. In addition to the photo spot which is an annual fixture, this year’s event was designed to make interaction easier, such as by putting the winners’ seats closer to those of the judges. Winners asked judges directly about which aspects had been appreciated highly, and the judges told them about the discussions that took place during the screening process: the awards provided an opportunity for dialogues to deepen their designs even further to take place on every side. There were also unexpected reunions between winners, and exclamations of “I finally got to talk to someone I’ve always wanted to talk with!” could be heard.

Yuki Uchida, the judge in charge of Initiative and Activity for Regional, said, “I was able to meet with members of award-winning projects from overseas, including Taiwan, and share differences in the cultural backgrounds. It was a very valuable time because of these conversations which were made possible by getting together in one place.” The GOOD DESIGN AWARD has become the largest “design community” in Japan, and there was a sense that the celebration went beyond being a formal ceremony to become a place where people could connect with each other around design.

Going forward, winners will be presented with one Commendation Certificate for each award winning object, as well as the award yearbook for this year. They are also offered a range of post-award support, including the use of the G Mark. Please check the official website for details of the ways in which the GOOD DESIGN AWARD is being put to use.

All of this year’s winning designs are also on show in the gallery. Please take a look!

2025 winners’ gallery:https://www.g-mark.org/en/gallery/winners